Rainbow Six Siege - The Untold Story
by MyNewOracle
Summary: In the Untold story to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, the operators of team Rainbow are pushed to their limits by a brutal conflict against those who wish to harm the free world, and each other.
1. Semper Fi

**CHAPTER 1: SEMPER FI**

 **November 16, 2015**

 **Arlington, Virginia (The Pentagon)**

 **0900**

It was a silent morning in Washington when two metal doors burst open. Behind the doors followed multiple people, Men and Women. All of them dressed to the nines, But in a sort of rough and tattered look. The room was soon filled with Military and Government personnel. The politicians sat down in tall dark leather chairs. And pulled their chairs closer to a large mahogany table that was so precisely placed in the center of the room. The politicians wore crudely wrinkled shirts and coats. So bizarre their outfits were shown to be, it appeared as if they had just crawled out of bed mere minutes before they had shown up to the sudden meeting. The soldiers looked less cruel. Their jackets neatly lined the edges of their badges. Clearly, all of the soldiers had many years of past experience in combat. Several of the soldiers had seen action in Afghanistan and Iraq. A couple select soldiers even had experience in special operations being former Navy SEALS and Marines. For most of the warriors, their badges and jackets were just an underlayer to a large tactical vest. In their vest's were visible weapons and gadgets. Flash bangs, Fragmentation grenades, Flares, P9's and magazines of ammo. In their gloved hands were combinations of M16 Assault rifles and M1014 Shotguns. A considerable amount of the soldiers wore military caps or Castro caps. While a small fraction of them wore ballistic helmets. All of the soldiers, however, wore their signature Dark blue coats and had clean white shirts underneath. Unlike the politicians it seemed they had been awake for hours and had merely been waiting for a call of duty. The room was filled with chatter. The people in the chairs jabbering about the sudden call for a meeting and what could be the likely cause for such a sudden congregation. While the politicians talked the soldiers aligned the edges of the walls to the sides. Standing professionally, in a single file line. Not making a noise. With their eyes focused toward the opposite side of the room at eye level. Solitary like statues weathering a storm. The room had continued in its loud conversations and arguments when suddenly one man shouted out.

"What's the meaning of this?! I was at home with my daughters when I suddenly have to leave for Arlington!." At that moment another person spoke, this time a woman.

"It's not our job to question we are supposed to follow orders!" This warrants another response from the man saying.

"You try to leave your house at 3. A.M. for a surprise top secret meeting and convince your children and wife that it is nothing to worry about!"

This created an outburst from several other politicians in the room but it was outmatched by the loud clatter of the large metal doors that created the entrance to the room. At this moment everyone in the room regardless of attitude or rank arose from their chairs and gave attention to the woman walking in. The room was dead silent as she approached her seat at the head of the table. She was an average looking woman with short black hair and black skin. She had a normal height and build but what beseeched her was her eyes. Her brown eyes seemed like they could melt straight through you, She clearly had experience breaking the will of humans and was an expert at manipulation just by the way she looked at the officers and senators. She had a small black briefcase that must have held some important tools to her work because she kept it close to her and never did it leave her side. She approached the chair and as she pulled it back to take a seat she spoke her first words.

"You may be seated." she also looked at the soldiers at the edges of the room and said. "at ease gentlemen." She then turned her attention to the end of the table there sat a man, a man whose choices little known to him would determine the fate of the free world. That man was Commander Jason Kirov. He was a tall, light-skinned man with short brown hair and blue eyes, he had a broad muscular frame and was in a black suit with a casual white shirt and a black tie around his collar with classy black loafers. The woman stared at Kirov before saying.

"I've called you here today because we face dire circumstances. Our intelligence has confirmed the existence of a new threat that is, unlike anything we have seen before. This organization has the ability to carry out attacks anywhere in the world, they are highly lethal and indiscriminate of age religion or nationality. The potential for loss of human life and psychological terror is substantial, and cannot be ignored. They are the very definition of an unknown quantity, our only choice of action is to meet force with force. As of this moment, my program is reactivated and I'm handing over command of all global field operations to you."

It seemed as if the entire room was staring at Kirov both with anxiety and envy after the woman's last statement.

"recruit your operators from among the world's foremost elite. borders and protocols are irrelevant. We must be the shield that safeguards the civilized from those who wish to do it harm. no matter how or where our enemies strike no matter what defense they cower behind team rainbow must stand ready." She said.

"I will be giving you your missions and orders to complete commander and you will refer to me only as Six." The room was silent until the U.S. Secretary of Homeland security, Jeh Johnson spoke up and said.

"Alright if this is a matter of global and national security then why have I heard nothing of it or them?" Six responded by saying.

"It is because the global terrorist ring known as the White masks are highly lucrative and have been remaining in hiding for several years. The only reason we know of their whereabouts is because of a man we had on the inside otherwise they have kept quiet and stay in the dark. We do know that they are also planning several attacks on a global scale but we don't know where or when all we can do is sharpen our blade and stand firm." he rebutted by saying

"If this is as large of a ring as you say it is, we need to inform the public... and get the president on the line, launch some sort of assault on them first before they strike!" Six responded in a risen tone.

"If we do something like that it will compromise our leverage the white masks will realize just how much we know and it will drive them deeper underground, our inside man will likely be compromised and the assaults they launch from that point further will be so radical that even team rainbow couldn't stop them. What we need to do right now is play defense and wait for them to come to us. It is highly important to us minimizing damage and casualties that they underestimate us. Then that will leave them vulnerable to a precision strike from team rainbow that will devastate their organization and without even comparable loss of life." The man sits back in his chair and remains silent as Six finished her statement, she then looked at Kirov and spoke.

"This all rests on your shoulders commander can you handle it?" Kirov responded with.

"All I've ever wanted in life was an opportunity to prove to my nation that I am willing and able to defend it with all I have. I won't let you are any of the people in this room down." Six smiled with satisfaction from the response and spoke again.

"I'm glad to hear it because your work starts now, but from this point on everything discussed in this room or between you and I is strictly confidential and cannot be discussed or spoken with any other soul, not your friends, family or acquaintances, the only other person who can know is POTUS. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am" responded Kirov.

"Excellent," said Six "But now I need to clear the room so I can discuss the current mission to the commander." She nodded to the soldiers at the opposite end of the room and then responded with.

"Yes Ma'am, alright everyone clear it out!" The soldiers slowly yet surely cleared everyone out of the room and latched the solid metal doors behind them. Six then said.

"This is your first task at hand you will need to meet your rainbow team and get settled in while they begin their additional training, In two weeks you are getting a presidential flight to the U.K. I will be there shortly after but I still have some paperwork authorize and still need to speak to those suits I just sent out of here, while you are waiting you should recruit you rainbow team and have them rendezvous at Hereford base, good luck." She then reached her hand out, and Kirov and Six shook on their newfound allegiance. Kirov didn't know what was going to happen but he was one of the finest commanders in the States and was ready to test his skills for his country.


	2. Faces of Freedom

**CHAPTER 2: FACES OF FREEDOM**

 **December 5, 2015**

 **Somewhere outside Manchester, England**

 **1900**

Kirov arrived at the private airstrip outside Manchester after an eight and a half hour flight, He had gotten lots of rest on the way over and felt ready for his mission. After all riding on the president's jet had its perks. Kirov then walked through a large hallway and approached two large doors that read _"EXIT"_ above them. He then pushed the doors out and began walking along the stone pathway leading the parking lot. He need not drive himself because there was already a long black limousine waiting for him at the end of the path, next to it stood two tall and sturdy men in suits, with each man being equipped with ear pieces they were likely secret service. One of the men opened the rear passenger door for Kirov while saying.

"Welcome commander" at that moment the other man saluted. Kirov sat down in the seat closest to the door, It was made of fine leather, and was very soft and warm. The limousine had a lot of room but the only person in it was him and the driver at the front. There still was a couple hours of driving before he would reach Hereford so Kirov began to study his new mission briefings. The mission was extremely simple, it read.

"Examine the team doing tactical training on breaching, rappelling, and shooting and then teach them your strategies for all of the concepts." Kirov shrugged his shoulders and relaxed in the fine limo and allowed his eyes to close one last time. He thought of the warriors he had recruited for his operation. He began by recruiting 5 soldiers and after he saw what happened in tactical training he would recruit more and slowly but surely build up his rainbow team. In Kirov's eyes acquiring the right force was so important that he needed to ensure that each soldier was up to par and far beyond an average militant. _"BLACK"_ Suddenly the commander saw himself back in Afghanistan were had had his first combat experience, just a Staff Sergeant. He was sitting in an old hammock-like chair and was sitting in front of an old wooden table, the table was covered with battle plans and files on other operations. The edges of the room had similar tables that were slightly smaller and had small laptops sitting on top of them. Each computer with multiple programs open. Kirov stood up when he noticed that he was in a small military tent common in hot and dusty places like Afghanistan. He saw the tattered fabric and support poles surrounding him and as he took his first step he felt the hot sand and dust touch his toes that had blown in, as did happen on a daily basis. He pulled the tent flap open and walked out of the tent when he saw a blaze of fire. There were missiles hitting the ground around him and bullets whizzing past him. He felt the flames and terror as he tried to run back into the tent but suddenly it disappeared. He was exposed and vulnerable to any attack without even a weapon to defend himself. He then took a second from the hellish experience to look at the earth, it was bloody and hot. The blood made a trail and it led right in front of him. A fellow soldier, A marine most likely laid on the dirt, bleeding and without any hope of survival. He was gripping his leg and was trying to stop his bleeding, he was a goner however as he had ruptured his femoral artery. He began to choke on his own blood but made eye contact with Kirov and said.

"Why are you just standing there sir, why did you leave me to die?" Kirov looked around and saw the torn and burnt bodies of other soldiers that laid dead before him. Kirov began to shout and beat the earth beneath him with his fist trying to end this nightmare. Suddenly the commander was awoken by the driver saying.

"Sir! Are you alright!" Kirov responded by saying.

"Yeah, just a nightmare is all…" The driver then said

"Sorry to hear that, the noises you made sounded pretty intense, I also don't mean to intrude but we are approaching the base if you wish to gather up your things." Kirov thought to himself

"What does he mean gather up my things?" but then dismissed the thought when he saw that while in his terror he had knocked over his suitcase and all of his papers onto the ground. He hurried to pick them all up and began putting the papers in the suitcase and then found himself ready to exit the vehicle when needed. The limo drove through beautiful rural areas, bright orange, and yellow trees If the trees even had leaves left over from the winter, they aligned the road like glowing lights on a landing strip. The wildlife was obvious too, rabbits, and squirrels were common with the occasional deer darting from behind the bushes to another hiding spot deeper in the forest. The entire area was sprinkled but not covered with snow and seemed as if it had barely even been affected by father frost. The limo pulled away from the rural areas and they began approaching some tall chain link fences that read.

 _"NO TRESPASSING, MILITARY ZONE, VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT."_ They then approached the long, narrow, wooden, red, and white gates. There was a small guard booth and a U.K. soldier with some sort of army tan jacket and pants, with brown boots and a bullet proof helmet. He slowly yet surely approached the car. The driver and guard exchanged some words and then the guard went back into the booth and spoke into his radio to someone. The gate then lifted and the limo continued its passage. As the limo drove Kirov noticed the tall watch towers surrounding the compound. They each had a sniper wearing dark clothing and concealing most of his body. The limo then approached the large concrete structure, it had many windows but most of them were concealed with cement plates and the entire structure seemed to be made of nothing other than steel and the occasional Layer of painted wood. The limo then drove past the building and parked alongside a series of large green tents. The driver then opened his door to the vehicle and got out, he walked around and opened Kirov's door and said.

"They are waiting for you inside here sir" as he pointed his arm in the direction of the tent flap. He then got inside the limo and slowly accelerated and drove off. The commander was intrigued as he stood there holding his briefcase and began walking towards the tent. He then opened the flap and stood still observing his surroundings. There they were, the faces of freedom that would change the world. Names were not important what was important was their abilities, and they were far beyond the average soldier. Their names were listed on Kirov's document.

* * *

 _Seamus Cowden, Codename: Sledge_

 _Eliza Cohen, Codename: Ash_

 _Jordan Trace, Codename: Thermite_

 _Elias Kötz, Codename: Blitz_

 _Monika Weiss, Codename: I.Q._

* * *

Kirov's however only saw two of the operatives he recruited, they stood arguing over a map of the compound.

"There's no way we could actually take on a tactical breach from the roof, we would get shot up like fish in a barrel when we came down." Said, one man.

"We could, you just have to create a diversion. Like an explosion in the adjacent room or we could send some bullets through the doorframe and then toss a…" The discussion was suddenly silenced by the commander's presence. He was noticed by both of the soldiers and was quickly greeted with both of them saluting and standing at attention. One of the soldiers then spoke saying.

"Welcome to Hereford base commander." Kirov noticed the operator. He looked different than he did in his file, or maybe Kirov had just forgotten, the man was average height and well built. He had very short brown hair, near buzz cut, but slightly longer, with an ordinary light skin tone. He did, however, have noticeable burns all along his hands and arms, They were partially concealed by long and crudely applied bandages. He wore a light green shirt and long desert camo pants, he also had on a pair of military boots and kept his shirt tucked in. Just as neatly as his pants tucked into his boots. The level of discipline could have only been achieved by years of military training. Kirov then responded to the man's welcome by saying.

"At ease gentlemen, It's good to be here…"

"Thank you, Commander... Well, I might as well introduce myself, I'm Jordan Trace, Former U.S. Marine and current member of FBI Special Weapons And Tactics, More specifically an explosives expert. As you already know, the reason I am here is because of my special equipment. its called a _Brimstone BC-3 Exothermic charge_ A.K.A. Thermite in case you needed a refresher commander."

"And what exactly makes that special over other breaching tools?"

"I am the only man, Actively serving that is who is qualified to handle this baby, It burns at 2100 degrees Celsius. Much, Much hotter than any other tool at our disposal. And with the attached C4 explosives it uses, no barrier stands in its wake... That can basically make a big ass hole in any wall if those numbers confused you, Seamus."

"Fuck off." Said the other man in the room.

"Anyways that is why they call me Thermite. the boys back home liked it thought it suited me, Central command that is and frankly so do I." Jordan finished as he reached his hand out to shake Kirov's. Kirov then spoke to Thermite while he shook his hand saying.

"Thank you soldier, and for the sake of the classified operations we are dealing with I will almost always refer to you and all of your fellow operators by your code names."

"Sounds good to me." Thermite then looked back at the other man, who was quietly standing near the edge of the tent. The man was tall and very much bulky, significantly larger than Thermite and he wore a camouflaged jacket and long black pants with dark brown boots. He had no hair and was completely bald, with lighter skin than Thermite, He seemed to care less about his appearance as compared to that of Thermite but did not seem to lack anything in discipline, as he kept his posture perfect at all times almost to and extreme and did not seem to move a muscle in the commander's presence almost as if Kirov was his drill sergeant that was in the course of training him. Thermite then said.

"Show the commander a little respect and say hello you shy bastard." The man then responded by saying.

"I was just waiting for you to shut your big American mouth so I could do just that." The man walked closer until he was just an arm's reach away from the commander, an easy reach for the man's long arms. He stood tall and at attention and saluted saying.

"Seamus Crowden, Former member of the British Army and current member of the British Special Air Service, H.Q. codenamed me Sledge." Kirov noticed his large breaching hammer on his back from which he got his codename. Kirov responded by saying.

"It's good to have you on board soldier, I hope you gentlemen forgive me for dragging you from your homes and families to be here but this is a matter of great importance so I assure you this is the best I could do, as for your families, I'm not going to lie these next few weeks are going to be long and dangerous, so it's best to say goodbye to them now because you won't be going home for a while…" Sledge responded by saying.

"I don't have anyone at home that I need to say goodbye to. Just a dog and my sister, we promised to never say goodbye, because that means we won't see each other again and that's not what I plan on doing." Thermite then spoke.

"I have already said goodbye to my Ma and Pa. my dad has no worries for me, Hell, he's the one who first taught me to shoot a gun, He's the proudest person you'd meet. Especially about me, And my girlfriend came here with me. You probably know her as Ash."

"Don't get me started on those two, this is the first time all day that they have been apart. It's a load of Bollocks if you ask me." Said Sledge.

"That's why nobody asked you Seamus, you salty son of a bitch." Thermite said in a laughing tone.

"I saw this in the file, and luckily I need both you and her particular sets of skills, but this is still a risk I took to keep you two together on this operation. Is this going to be a problem or affect the way our team operates Thermite?" Said Kirov.

"No sir, Seamus is just a classic Scottish Jokester, but seriously, No, We keep things strictly professional, when training or on a mission." Thermite said in much less of a joking manner.

"Excellent, Then I suppose I need to meet the rest of the team, where are they anyways?" Said Kirov. Thermite responded by saying.

"The girls went down to the shooting range I believe, to get to know each other better or something like that you already met Sledge and I… Oh and the sharp one, yeah… Blitz Is what they call him he's likely down at the weight room. Man, he's one strong Mother Fucker, He could give old Seamus a run for his money on the bench press, he's gotta be I suppose, to carry that big shield around. But he's even smarter than he is strong, must have been on the debate team as a kid because man can he talk. Tongue sharper than a buck knife on that one I tell you what."

"Why don't you just ask him out on a date dammit, if you love him so much" Said Sledge.

"Shut your goddamn mouth Seamus, we all know there is only room for one gal in my life, as for you... I could see it" Said Thermite. Sledge laughed and spoke.

"That will be the day alright!" Thermite then turned back to the table with the map and said.

"Now back to what I was saying you can't just jump through the roof all willy nilly and expect to come out of it with your guts together." Sledge then again said.

"Again if we create a diversion, that could be the quickest way to secure a hostage." Kirov puzzled took it upon himself to correct them and then interrupted the discussion saying.

"Which room are you talking about?" Sledge pointed to a small room in the center of a complex with room on three sides and a hall on the fourth. Kirov then said.

"Ah, you are both wrong, what I would suggest Is instead a tactical breach from one side and a bull rush down the hall. I would make as many holes in the walls as possible leaving them with little corners to hide in, then I would send a ballistics shield straight up the middle of the hall to box the exit out and let the remaining troops pick them off like sitting ducks. Simple." The two soldiers stood there silently and lacked any sort of response to the commander as they knew that clearly, he knew what he was talking about. The commander then spoke before exiting.

"Well... carry on then." And walked out of the tent.


	3. Athena's Finest

**CHAPTER 3: ATHENA'S FINEST**

 **December 5, 2015**

 **Hereford Base, England**

 **2000**

Kirov walked down a concrete path towards a large grass field. There was some sort of a metallic fence shielding the commander and anyone who walked along that path to protect them from the firing range in the event that some lunatic or god awful shot lobbed a few rounds toward the walkway. Kirov saw two people standing behind a tall and long wooden table. The table was waist high and was anywhere from 10 to 15 feet long and held a wide variety of weapons. Big and small, rifles, shotguns, pistols, semi-auto and full auto. The table was also littered with ammunition, small and large caliber bullets and shells were in ammo cases, magazines, or freely lying on the table. The table also had several knives of varying shapes and sizes. Kirov continued walking along the path until it led him straight into a small viewing area behind the range. Two women were shooting, both of them were around the same average height and both had slim attractive figures, One woman had long reddish-brown hair that was neatly woven into a braid that ran along her neck and down her shoulder she wore a tan shirt that read _"Israel Defense Force"_ on the back and she also had black tactical pants on that had multiple pockets and knee pads on the front, that complimented her light brown boots. She had lightly tanned skin and brown eyes and was shooting an H &K G36C Assault Rifle down range about 100 feet at some white paper torso and head cutout targets. There were multiple rounds directly in the head and heart with almost no bullet holes anywhere else. The other woman was just about the same height and build, Her hair was not quite as long as the first woman, but it was vibrant blonde hair that she kept loosely hanging, Her bangs went over one of her eyes slightly but did not block vision. She had lighter skin than the other woman and had sharp blue eyes. She wore some slim jeans and a light sweater that could almost be classified as a long sleeve shirt. She had normal tennis shoes on and didn't seem to be dressed like a military soldier at all. But Kirov was not about to misjudge her. If she appeared on his radar while recruiting clearly her skills must beseech her and they most certainly did. She held a Steyr Aug in her hands and shot down range at a target that was at the same distance as the others, and her bullet penetration with nearly the same accuracy as the first woman's.

"You need to try this new stalk grip I'm using, I swear it feels like my recoil pattern is only half what it used to be." Said the blonde woman in a light german accent.

"Really, let me take a look at that" Said the braided woman in a much more western accent. She took the Aug and fired one round down range and put one shot straight through the skull of the target and then lowered her aim and shot again for a direct hit to the heart of the target.

"Huh, my father had one of these back home, he got it from someone near Zion. I'll have to ask the commander for one of these when he gets here... I don't know where someone could get one in Germany. Say... what's it like where you are from?" She asked.

"Oh, Germany... It could get very cold but you had to remember that spring was just around the corner and, during spring everything bloomed and It would finally warm for the first time in months. Spring was always my favorite time in Leipzig... I would spend hours trying to get our cat to play with me, and she would always ignore me until my father got home. Adalgar my father, always seemed to have a way with that cat…..He passed a few years back…" Said the blonde woman. The braided woman then said.

"I'm sorry to hear that, my mom left my dad when I was too young to remember so I grew up with more of a male role model than a female, but he taught me everything I needed to know. How to be a Lady and all that. But he also taught me to defend myself and shoot my first gun... He said 'Eli you only need to remember two things in life. Don't ever be afraid to defend yourself and don't ever let someone tell you who to be.' I always took that to heart." She said in a hushed tone.

"And because of that, I was always tougher than the people who gave me trouble, even if they were boys." She said in a giggling tone. "I was just about as stubborn as a boy too, honestly I don't know how Jordie puts up with me." She spoke softly while smiling. "What about you, do you have anyone at home that you have to put up with?" The blonde woman then said.

"If it's the cat you're talking about, you should know he's also dead now."

"No." The braided woman said while smiling. "I mean do you have someone special that you intend on staying alive for?" The blonde woman replied by saying.

"I've had some dates here and there but I figured in this line of work it's best to not get attached to someone because you could wind up dead the next day. And I don't want someone to go through that."

"Fair enough I suppose," Said the braided woman. "But what about that Elias guy, he's pretty cute right." The blonde woman began giggling and blushing.

"What do you mean…." Said the blonde woman.

"You know exactly what I mean." Said the braided woman.

"Maybe... a little I suppose." Reluctantly replied the blonde woman.

"You've done nothing but hang around him since we first got here, Do you like him?" Asked the braided woman

"I don't know… He's pretty comical and just fun to be around I guess….." Replied the blonde woman.

"That's how it started for me and Jordie, watch out Monika or you might actually find yourself putting up with a guy you like."

"So how did you and Jordan meet?" The blonde woman asked.

"We met at a S.W.A.T. training camp in Montana. He was the fastest and strongest guy there and I was the best shot there so I guess we just hit it off. We started talking in our downtime at the camp and then we decided to stay in touch even after. It was one of the smarter moves I've made in my life. But he is from Texas so I suppose if he really liked me he wouldn't let me go that easy." The braided woman said while laughing.

"I guess I never worry about losing Jordie because he just wouldn't do that, he's too smart and way too stubborn to just let someone kill him. And I guess I'm the same for him, we work together good as a team." Said the braided woman.

"Yeah I agree," Said the blonde woman. "You two sure are stubborn!" Both of the women began laughing and they slowly came to a stop when the braided woman turned her head to see the commander standing behind them with both hands in his suit pants pockets. Immediately the braided woman nudged the blonde woman's arm then the two of them stood at attention and saluted to the commander like he was the president of the United states. The braided woman then said.

"Our apologies commander we didn't realize you were there."

"No worries you two, I didn't want to disturb your conversation, at ease ladies," Said Kirov. The braided woman then spoke.

"Thank you, it's truly an honor commander, I am Eliza Cohen, Or Codename Ash, Former member of the Israeli Defense Force and current member of the F.B.I. Special Weapons And Tactics as a Demolitions Expert." The commander then looked with intrigue to a small weapon on the table. It didn't look as if it fired bullets the barrel was too big and there appeared to be no magazine.

 _"_ Is this your specialized breaching tool?" Kirov said as he pointed to the weapon. Eliza smiled and replied.

 _"_ Yes, this is the _M120 Compact Rifle Entry Munition_ or M120 CREM for short. It fires small burrowing breaching munitions and one blast is enough to destroy a wall. Do you want me to test it for you?"

"No need Eliza, I trust in your ability, and I've heard of your accomplishments, very prestigious. I've already discussed this with Jordan. But I want to make sure that your connection with him will not affect this Mission... will it?" Said Kirov

"No sir I can assure you it will not, we are professionals when we are on Mission. And thank you, Commander." Said Ash

"Excellent, thank you for your time, Eliza." Kirov then turned his head to the other, blonde woman, she nervously began to speak.

"Good afternoon commander I am Monika Weiss, better known as Codename I.Q. California Tech and M.I.T. Electrical Engineering Major."

"Yes, and you then spent 2 years with Bundespolizei before joining up with the GSG-9." I.Q. was impressed slightly by Kirov's memory to her profile.

"Yes. That would be me." Said I.Q.

"And in addition to your combat skills, you also are skillful in reading electrical circuits. This is great because it can and will be crucial to finding enemy explosives and traps." Said Kirov

"Yes, it is now much easier to do than ever before with my Spectre. It is of my design so I built it for my skill set." Replied I.Q. Kirov pointed his finger towards the small screen on I.Q.'s wrist and spoke.

"That must be the gadget on your wrist If I'm not mistaken." I.Q. flipped the screen up and began scanning and detecting the electronics around the base.

"Yes, sir. The Red Mark 3 Spectre in all its glory. There are only two in existence, and I have the better one." Kirov smirked slightly in approval.

"Well I've spoken with everyone on the team except for that one Elias fellow, is he at the weight room right now?" Ash smirked and responds.

"I don't know maybe you should ask Monika here, she seems to concern herself with that kind of stuff." I.Q. Blushes and scowls before saying.

"Forgive my friend here commander for her distasteful sense of humor, but I do believe he's at the weight room, I can't even imagine how someone could make a workout last as long as he did." I.Q. then looks at Ash, Ash then spoke.

"Well, Monika why don't we go see what the boys are doing right now and maybe get something to eat." Monika replies with.

"Yes, that sounds great…" The two women walked down the path towards the tents to regroup with their comrades. Kirov then turned away and walked down another twisting path that led to a large metal structure. Much larger than the tent and with thin walls that were hung high with banners and cloth. He pushed the small door open and entered the building. It was a small yet compact weight complex. With all the machines one man would need to bulk up in muscle. There were squat racks, benches, stations for preacher curls, pull-ups, and dips, there was a dumb bell rack equipped with various weights and plenty of room for calisthenics. In the center of the room was a man, he was average height but slightly shorter than Thermite and very much shorter than the towering Sledge. What he lacked in height however he made up for with his frame. He was built stout. He was wearing a dirty brown shirt and some black shorts with tennis shoes. He also had a pair of headphones on that were blaring some sort of Rock music. The commander only watched for a couple minutes before the man spotted him, much faster than the other members of Kirov's team. He was finishing a set of pull-ups when he dropped from the bar and looked at Kirov. He then pulled the headphones off of his head and stopped the music on his phone Before saluting, The Man then said.

"Welcome to Hereford base Commander. I am Elias Kötz, reporting for duty."

"Yes I have read your profile, A Schnelle Kräfte soldier in Kosovo, and Ex GSG-9 that is pretty prestigious." Said Kirov, Elias smiled and then responded.

"That's right. I'm glad to here that my background meets your standards... I'll be straightforward with you because I like you, and I have gotten in trouble for this in the past. I like to joke around it helps me ease the pressure of war, so If you happen to see me crackin' jokes don't that I've blown a fuse or that I am a lover of death because I'm not, it's just a… coping mechanism." Kirov then replied

"With what you have seen don't worry about the humor, I get it. I did the same thing back in Afghanistan." Elias's eyes opened slightly wider.

"You served in Afghanistan, That's very honorable, would you mind telling me about it?" Kirov's eyes widened, and his heart rate increased slightly. "I would really love to exchange war stories with you." Said Elias. Kirov opened his mouth but no words came out. He then swallowed and relaxed and said.

"Well… It was a really bloody conflict, a lot of good men died for no reason, and I still don't know why I was spared. I served two tours, first as a Staff Sergeant, and then as a Lieutenant. I was responsible for lots of men, and don't have fond memories of the experience." Elias then said.

"Really like what?" Kirov's heart rate raised again and he began to feel uncomfortable so he replied with.

"That's really all I would like to share for now…" Elias's facial expression turned from one of intrigue to one of disappointment. He then said.

"Alright commander that's fine, but I believe there is more to you than meets the eye and can tell you have had a very interesting life."

"How could you tell that?" Said Kirov.

"It's the way that you walk, talk, and act. Your body language says it all." Said Elias. Kirov suddenly disliked what he hears and spoke.

"Let's keep our conversations for now on professional unless I say otherwise, Is that understood?" Elias then frowns slightly before saying.

"Ay commander." Kirov then looked at his watch and looks back at Elias before saying.

"Well it's nearly dark, let's turn in before they girls send a search party to find us." Elias then responds with.

"I'm all done here anyways, let's head out."

"Where is your shield by the way?" Asked Kirov.

"It's back at at the tent do you need to see it?"

"I might just have to. the design on your shield is quite unique and very intriguing, 24 flashbangs in the press of a button how in the world does a man come out of that with his vision intact?"

"You would be surprised just how tough the human eyes are to disrupt."

The two men begin to walk out of the weight room. As they walked the commander thought to himself how surprised he was by all the different personalities he had found on his team and wondered what effect that would have on the way his team operates. But he felt confident that these men and women were Athena's finest, and that they will complete the objective because after all, they are elite warriors who are trained to follow orders. As they approached the tent they were greeted by Ash and I.Q. once again. Ash then says in a Sarcastic Manner.

"It was almost dark we thought, we might have had to come looking for you." I.Q. then says.

"Yeah, and I'm not sure Elias here would be smart enough to find his way back to the tent….." She said with a smile.

"Oh I'm always smart enough to find where the lights are on in darkness, and I don't even need that fancy gadget of yours." Said Blitz

"Oh really…. I don't even think you know what this thing can do… Come on, let's go find some electrical circuits to play with." She said while turning and walking away from the tent. Blitz looks at Ash and Kirov before saying.

"Well, I better make sure she doesn't get hurt… Hell, what am I saying I'm probably the one who's going to get hurt…" He said in a joking manner.

"You coming!?" I.Q. shouted to Blitz from across the grass.

"Well, see you later guys we're going to blow some stuff up," Blitz said as he began to walk off.

"Those two" Ash said while shaking her head. "There always up to no good, like two partners in crime. Or two peas in a mischievous pod." She said while laughing. The Commander and Ash then walked into the tent.


	4. The Sword and The Shield

**CHAPTER 4: THE SWORD AND THE SHIELD**

 **December 12, 2015**

 **Location Unknown**

 **2000**

A dark hallway is only lightly illuminated the lights emitted from the warriors. All five of them. Sprinting down into what could only be certain danger, but not one of them has the blight of fear within them. They continue running until they reach a staircase with two walls on each side of the steps. three of them. Ash, I.Q. and Thermite put their backs against the left wall, and Sledge and Blitz but their backs and the right wall. Ash then spoke.

"Cover me I'm sending a drone out." Ash then dropped a small drone on the ground, it was tiny but not too small to be seen, it was a small cylinder with two small treaded wheels on either side, it also came equipped with a launch pad for vertical leaps and a small camera in the center. It was, in other words, a greatly efficient scouting tool. Ash pulled out her small smartphone and used it as a control module for the drone, the drone quickly darted up the stairs and onto the next floor, as Ash examined the screen she can see that there were five tangos on the upper floor, Two in the first closest room and three in the second farther room. There was also an even farther third room that she attempts to scout, but her drone was destroyed by a bullet, White Masks. They came equipped with their signature white gas masks and black body armor they also carried automatic weapons and small canisters of an unknown biological weapon. Ash then spoke.

"We have two in the first room and three in the second room, the hostage appears to be in the second room I believe." Kirov then relayed with them on their ear pieces. "Blitz, Sledge, and I.Q. make your way up the stairs. Blitz, you take point. I.Q. kill anyone who comes his way and make sure that you don't step on any traps. Use that Spectre of yours. Sledge your cover behind. Thermite you and Ash make your way down the hall you came, move to the outside of the building and rappel up the side, when I give you the signal you are going to do a timed breach into the second room with three tangos." Thermite replied.

"Blitz, Sledge, and I.Q. make your way up the stairs. Blitz, you take point. I.Q. kill anyone who comes his way and make sure that you don't step on any traps. Use that Spectre of yours. Sledge your cover behind. Thermite you and Ash make your way down the hall you came, move to the outside of the building and rappel up the side, when I give you the signal you are going to do a timed breach into the second room with three tangos." Thermite replied.

"Yes, Commander let's move everyone!" Ash and Thermite make their way to the outside of the building and begin rappelling up. At the same time Blitz, I.Q. and Sledge made their way up the stairs. As they approached the area they see that every room was connected by a long hallway and that every room also has only one entrance. (Besides the windows) Blitz whispers to I.Q.

"See anything?" I.Q. responds with.

"Nothing yet, I'm getting strange readings here there is something in the structure that is using a lot of electricity but I haven't found it yet." I.Q. turns her gadget towards the doorway and sees a nitro cell I.E.D. briefly before aiming her pistol and the device and firing.

"Clear move up!" She shouts. And the three move into the first room. Blitz busted down the barricade and stood in the doorway and shouted.

"I got two hostiles!" Sledge took position in the hall to cover their six while I.Q. put her hand on Blitz shoulder as they entered the room, Immediately two White Masks begin to open fire on Blitz but he and his shield hold fast. Blitz counts in his mic,

"ready three… two… One!." Blitz flashes his shield and the two attackers stop shooting and are forced the cover their eyes do to the pain of the flashes

"Aahh!" The White Masks Scream, Blitz then turned his shield on its side and uses it as a stand for his pistol to easily dispatch one man, and at the same time I.Q. used her Aug to take down the other.

"This room's clear!" shouts Blitz. Kirov spoke into the mic.

"Excellent work people, now regroup with Bravo and get ready to breach room two." The three make their way to the second room when they heard gunshots behind them, they turned to see that Sledge was engaged in a firefight with some White Masks attacking from behind.

"Blitz I'll need some help back here!" shouted sledge, Blitz then quickly ran back to the edge of the staircase where sledge was and began to lay down suppressing fire. During the meantime I.Q. flashed her Red three over the wall to the second room and sees that the entire room is clear except for the door frame which is riddled with explosive devices. I.Q. then spoke.

"Kirov, we have a lot of I.E.D.s on the door I don't think we can move through there." Kirov responded with.

"Alright guys, I.Q. says that her Spectre is picking up a lot of enemy signals from the door so we likely might be dealing with an Entry Denial Device. Let's instead opt to make a tactical breach through the wall and catch them by surprise" All of Team Rainbow responded with the same thing.

"Yes, commander." Kirov confidently spoke.

"Alright sledge you make a hole in that wall by I.Q. and then the two of you will pick off any White Masks in your sights. Thermite and Ash you will breach through the windows at the same time and crush the enemies between two oncoming forces. Blitz, you cover the flank" The commander paused.

"I.Q, what's the status on the windows." I.Q. responded with.

"we don't have any electrical signals coming from the windows." Kirov then said.

"Alright, people get it set up." Sledge pulled from his position on the stairs and regrouped with I.Q. Sledge pulled out his _"Caber"_ and readied it for a hard swing. At that same time, Thermite and Ash placed their breaching charges on the windows and waited for the signal. Blitz had the stairs covered and it seemed as though the White Mask reinforcements has seized pushing up the stairs. Kirov then shouted.

"Three… Two… One… GO!" At that time sledge swung his hammer and in one thrust the wall exploded open. Splinters went flying in the opposite direction and a massive gap in the wall appears. Sledge and I.Q. then spotted two White Masks and began to open fire. They dispatched the terrorists with ease and focused their sights on the remaining enemy.

"We can't see him!" Shouted Sledge.

"Not to worry we got him." Thermite and Ash who were attached securely to their rappels jumped backwards giving them lots of momentum, At the same time, they blew the breaching charges. The window barriers exploded and into the room poured the two fighters. Ash landed and immediately whipped up her gun to see a White Mask disoriented and stumbling around. She quickly ended him with a shot to the head. Thermite then picked up the hostage. A man tied down with duck tape over his mouth and hands. At that time all five of the fighters regrouped in the room.

"Alright let's get out of here." said Ash.

"Wait! I think I have found the source, the electrical signal is coming from the third room we were trying to search…" Said I.Q. "Commander we have confirmation on the electrical signal it's something... big in the third room, permission to investigate?" Kirov responded with.

"Permission granted, keep that Spectre up we don't want anyone getting killed by some trap." The five of them took their positions in front of the third room They all found some sort of cover and prepared their weapons to quickly dispatch anything behind the door. The door, however, was linked to some signals of its own, With that in the commanders mind the best way to keep the breaching process as safe as possible would be to use one of Ashe's Ballistic Breaching Rounds. The five reloaded their weapons and took cover. Once they were prepared Ash took aim with her Gadget and Shouted out.

"Fire in the hole!" She then launched the breaking round into the barricade covering the doorway. The barricade splintered and left the rest of the room covered in debris and dust. The five stood firm and peered into the doorway, out of the room walked a large White Mask This one, however, was taller and significantly more armored. He also had some sort of switch in his hand that was attached to the electrical signal I.Q. was picking up. This entire time the signals were a bomb, and not just that but a Bomb attached to a psychopathic man who was ready to die. The man began charging with a very loud beeping sound originating from his chest. Sledge then shouted.

"Engaging Hostile!" All five then began to spray their rounds into the chest of the assailant but it proved ineffective and at that moment when they begin reloading to continue firing, the man reached Blitz. This did not faze him however as Blitz proved once again, why he is known as being very clever. He sent his last round through the face mask and breathing apparatus of the terrorist and put him down. Just with one round. Blitz then spoke.

"Tango down... we are now extracting the hostage." Kirov happily replies.

"Copy that great work, Blitz." The five soldiers then marched out of the building with the unharmed hostage in hand. They had just worked together as a team for the first time and proved to be an elite fighting force. The commander then walked out of a small tent near the entrance of the building.

"Good work out their folks, that right there is as accurate of a combat simulation as we can make without sending real terrorists out on you. Those trainers are going to need some ice after you guys pelted them with those pellet guns. Nice job, now I suggest you people go and get some rest and maybe something to eat, it's going to be a long day of training tomorrow."

"Yes, Commander!" The five shouted before walking to their tents. Kirov watched them walk to their quarters. Ash and Thermite held hands as they walked back, and Sledge Swiftly began to polish his hammer and clean it of all the dirt and grime it had acquired. Blitz was chatting with I.Q. likely telling her some clever joke or pun based on the way she giggles and smiled when she heard them. All in all the entire team seemed pleased with the day's work. Kirov couldn't help but let a smile crack on his face when he saw his team completing an objective with excellence and then also get along so well.

"They did great today." Said Six from behind Kirov. He turned around and replied.

"You think so." Six then spoke.

"I know so, I knew that my trust in you was well placed, the team that you put together not only connect nicely on a tactical scale but prove to be socially connected to each other and that Is something you cannot train to a soldier, That right there is enough motivation to overcome any obstacle. If it's their friend's life that's on the line, they will have unbreakable wills. And that is worth more than any breaching tool or weapon."

"I'm glad to hear that then." Said Kirov.

"Just keep up the good work commander and many doors will open in the future not just for team rainbow but for you and your career." Said Six.

"It's been an honor Six" Said Kirov.

"It goes both ways" Replies Six. "I'll be back in a couple days to evaluate your progress, but until then keep up the good work."

"Yes ma'am," Said Kirov. Six then walked away and took a seat inside a black limo. Shortly after the vehicle pulled out of Hereford base. Kirov then turned and walked to the tent. Ash and Thermite walked out of the same tent from the opposite side and continued walking until they reached to the opposite side of Hereford. Thermite then leaned against the tall fence that surrounded the perimeter of the base and put his hands around Ashes hips, He pulled her closer to him and the two kissed for multiple seconds. He drew himself back away from her lips and put one hand on her cheek with which he gently rubbed her skin. With the other hand, he touched and fiddled with her hair braid. This continued for only a short time because Ash grabbed Thermites vest and pulled him in and their lips softly touched and latched together for a few more seconds. They then stopped again, as Thermite withdrew so he could gaze into Ashes eyes.

"Jordie?" Said Ash.

"Yes gorgeous?" Said Thermite.

"Promise me you will never leave me." Said Ash.

"Aw... Why do you say this?" Said Thermite.

"I have nightmares sometimes that you go out to battle and then never return, just promise me If you ever go out to fight you will always come back to me." Said Ash.

"I promise… I love you" Said Thermite, he put her head against his chest and the two leaned against the fence holding each other for a few more seconds.

"And Jordie…" Said Ash.

"Yes…" Said Thermite.

"I Promise to you that If you ever go out onto that battlefield or into that building or onto that plane or boat or truck or whatever it may be to fight the free world's enemies. I promise you, I will always fight beside you." Said Ash.

"This I know for sure, there's no one on God's green earth that I would rather have fighting by my side than you…" Thermite said. he then began to kiss Ash again as he lowered his hand from her cheek. He then grabbed her hand and separated their lips and said.

"You have no idea how much you mean to me and I would rather die than lose you... And that is the truest thing I've ever said In all my days." The couple stood out under the stars until late at night.

* * *

 **December 7, 2016**

 **Hereford Base, England**

 **2100**

I.Q. grabbed a rubber ball and tossed it as hard as she could at the beer bottle that stood on top of a table. It hit the bottle dead on and the glass shattered.

"Yes! Dang, great shot Moni" Exclaimed Blitz. I.Q. Blushed, every time someone calls her Moni she hated it and usually would respond saying.

 _"Haven't heard that one before." or "Good one."_ she would even go as far as to get upset, it reminded her of bad times from her childhood. Where she was bullied extensively for her love of Science and Technology. Moni was used as an insult in those days. But it seemed to not bother her when Elias said it. For some reason she cannot figure out she likes it. After all, it does not give off any good vibes for her. But even after things like that I.Q. still finds herself laughing to Elias's jokes and plays games with him or just simply hanging out with her. She enjoyed so much she liked it even more than with someone as good of a friend as Ash. Elias it seemed was her best friend, after the few months they spent together. I.Q. would rather go to battle with him as her shield than even someone as dependable as Sledge.

"Alright it's your turn now Fotze, (Cunt)" Said I.Q. she tried to sound mad from the last name calling that Blitz did to her, but she could fake it well enough and Blitz knew it.

"O.K. Moni, let's see what I can do." Blitz cocked his arm back and let a rip sending another ball down range like an MLB Pitcher, it hit the bottle on the end of the table and exploded into a variety of fragments and pieces that littered the grass.

"Good job Ruth Babe, " said I.Q. "I bet you 50 pushups you can't do it again."

"First of all, it's Babe Ruth. I'm not even American I knew that and second of all, Sie sind auf (You are on)." Blitz threw the ball once again, this time at another bottle that was beside the first one. The ball just barely missed the bottle and landed cleanly on the ground on the opposite side of the table.

"Bezahle (Pay up)." Said I.Q.

"aber natürlich sai, (But of course)." Blitz then dropped to the ground and began to do his push-ups, he did about 25 in rapid succession before stopping, he quickly stood up and said.

"You know I think It's a little unfair if I have to wear body armor for this." Blitz then unzipped his vest and pulled it over his head, He accidentally, however, in addition, pulled off his shirt with the vest.

"Oops." Sad Blitz as reached to the ground to pick up his shirt. I.Q. looked at Elias and saw his torso, his arms were big and strong and all but his core was different, his chest was tattered, he had large scars, wounds, tears, and who knows what else on his body. She walked closer to Elias and gently touched his right pectoral on it was a large gash that she felt with her fingers tips, with her other hand she touched what looked like a bullet wound on the lower portion of his core.

"Oh Mein Gott," She said while feeling it with her finger. "What are these from?..."

"Schlacht, (Battle) in Kosovo I almost didn't return from It." Said Blitz in a quiet and serious tone. I.Q. had just grasped the reality of the situation she is in. She was always prepared for her own death, but she had never thought of what It must be like to lose someone else to the cruel embrace of War. She had let Blitz get under her skin, something that she always tried to avoid but had inadvertently done, And now that she had something to lose it hit her especially hard. She realized now that if she lost Elias she would lose a part of herself. She grabbed Elias's hand and brought him close and hugged him, she hugged him as hard as she could and didn't let go until Elias said. "Was ist los mit dir? (What's wrong?)" Elias asked. I.Q. lifted her head from Blitz's chest and Blitz looked at I.Q. He saw that she was crying. He looked at his chest and saw where the tears were. He saw her eyes, sharp and bright blue. A color that Elias always liked, it reminded him of home and the blue rivers and creeks behind his house that he would scale and explore as a child. He took his thumb and wiped the tears away from her cheek and brushed some of her blonde hair away from her eye. And brought her back into his embrace. Elias thought maybe the two of them had just had a little too much to drink after the simulation. Elias didn't know that I.Q. didn't even have a sip to drink in the first place. Elias was exhausted from the days training and thought that the two of them just needed some shut eye. He felt Monika's weight press into him as she had almost fallen asleep on his chest and thus, swept Monika off of her feet and carried her in his arms. He brought her into the tent where sledge had his back turned to them. He was cleaning his hammer off and maybe sharpening it. Elias did not know where Monika's bed was and frankly was too tired to care, so he decided instead to just bring Monika into his part of the tent that was closed off to anyone but him. He made his bed and put Monika in it, he tucked her in and whispered into her ear.

"Keine Sorge, im nicht überall. (Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere)." Elias then sat down in the chair that was beside the bed leaned back and quickly fell asleep, he had plenty of experience sleeping in uncomfortable environments so this easy for him.


	5. Der Letzte Akt

**CHAPTER 5: DER LETZTE AKT**

 **December 18, 2016**

 **Hereford Base, England**

 **1000**

"We have an active Situation, the nature of this threat will require a full Strike team, you're being deployed, one of our most notable institutions of learning is under siege. This is more than just an attack on our soil, this is an attack on our future. We know that all first responders have gone silent. We confirm numerous casualties due to the release of an unidentified biochemical weapon. Your newly assembled rainbow team faces a trial by fire against an unknown number of enemy combatants. You're to be inserted directly into the hot zone. We will have decontamination crews on standby. Your orders are to eliminate the threat and rescue any survivors you may find. This was why rainbow was formed. This is what you all have trained for. Your time is now." Said Six.

"My team is ready and are on standby." Said Kirov.

"The situation is urgent so make haste, a chopper has been fueled and is ready to take you and your troops to the hot zone. Good luck commander." Says Six before she hangs up the call.

 _"Time to break the news to my troops."_ Kirov thinks to himself, Kirov then walked away from the command station and down a narrow dirt path. that led one of the many small tents where his troops were waiting. The five warriors were standing and sitting variously around the entrance of the tent.

"Well?" Says Thermite. "What's the story?"

"We're going to war, get your gear ready we are wheels up in five. Take only what you need for combat. I will brief you on the chopper." The troops got their things together and began marching towards the chopper, each of them was handed a small container by a man in a white lab coat.

"What's in here," Says Sledge.

"It's a Hazmat suit and breathing apparatus." Said the man.

 _"Clearly,"_ the soldiers thought to themselves. _"we were going into something that is very toxic and very deadly."_ The troops continued walking In a single file line towards the chopper and each took a seat. They then began to slip into their new gear over their current clothes. As the chopper took off they began fitting and adjusting their gas masks for their various head sizes. Thermite then held out his hand to Ash and Ash held out her hand to Sledge.

"What is this?" Sledge asked.

"We are just going to have a moment of silence and personal reflection before. this upcoming battle." Said Thermite. Although Sledge was not much of a religious man himself he definitely was not atheist and thought to himself.

"It could only help right?" and firmly grasped ash's hand. Sledge then reached out his hand and grabbed Blitz's. Blitz grabbed on and then reached his hand for I.Q. She hesitated to take his hand and gave him a scowl of a look, not because she was sacrilegious, or was an atheist or even because she didn't want to do it, It was instead because of what she was thinking to herself the whole time.

"Don't you dare tell me that you would honestly let yourself die on me, you son of a bitch. You wouldn't… You couldn't…" The thought of losing her friends was painful for her to think of, but to lose Elias? That thought was too much to bear. So she grabbed Blitz's hand and squeezed tightly. Blitz then rubbed his thumb over her fingers and held her hand tight. I.Q. in the meantime gave the most intense most meaningful prayer of her life on that chopper. If God really did exist he would have heard that one. Thermite then reached out his hand to Kirov saying.

"You mind Commander?" Kirov responded by saying.

"Not at all? And one more thing team Rainbow… I can assure you I will try my hardest to bring everyone home safely… that's a promise." Said Kirov. The crew was locked in the silence of their own thoughts, with nothing but the sound of the chopper's propeller to remain conscious. They were locked in the thoughts of what was to come, the impending battle, The possible risk of death, the possible risk of losing someone. Ash buried her head into Thermite's shoulder, likely thinking about what she cares about most. Sledge was purely a warrior with no fear or worries of losing someone to bear, he carried nothing with him but his muscles and his wits on the battlefield. But out of everyone on that chopper, I.Q. was the most scared, not because she thought she may die, It wasn't because of any sort of fear of her receiving harm. No, she has already seen enough battle. She was wondering if this would be the last time she would see her best friend Elias.

 _"No,"_ she thought to herself. _"He's too strong and too smart to let something like that happen."_ She then thought back to that night on the shooting range when she cried in Elias's embrace, she was the one who was scared and weak. Not Elias, _"He took care of me. He could have just shoved me away or said nothing if he couldn't handle himself, but no he carried me out and said 'Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.' And I will be damned if that Isn't true. Now it's my turn to take care of him."_

* * *

 **December 18, 2016**

 **Bartlett University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.**

 **1800**

The choppers propellers chopped at the air like a sword through spiderwebs. The pilot then spoke.

"Copy that Delta Charlie we have a green light." The pilot switched the bay light from red to green and the side doors swung open, along with that long ropes spooled out of the chopper and landed on the ground. The co-pilot swung his arm towards the doors and shouted.

"GO! GO! GO!" The five soldiers soared to the ground and planted their feet in the dusty yellow ground. The entire campus was covered in this Toxin. Clearly, Team Rainbow was cut out for its work. The five troopers began moving towards the entrance of the College on their trek there they passed many dead bodies of innocent students and police officers alike. Slaughtered without mercy like animals. The air was so thick with the poison that it was hard to see more than a couple feet in front of them. As soon as they reached the front doors this was no longer a training simulation. They were about to experience their first taste of White mask terrorism. It all started when Thermite shouted.

"TAKE COVER!" Immediately all of the soldiers took cover behind a long concrete barrier. They heard only the cracking of gunfire as they were swarmed with enemy fire. Thermite ruggedly spoke again.

"We got two, No three tangos on the rooftop, Sledge you and I, On the count of three, we clean them. O.K.?" Sledge nodded his head in approval.

"O.K. Three…. Two…. one…. FIRE! The two of them then raised their heads past their cover and began to open fire on the assailants. The two soldiers did not lack in accuracy and eliminated the three tangos. Kirov then spoke to them on their ear pieces.

"Ash! Take your drone and scout out the building for enemy hostiles, we are also looking for TWO Bombs you hear me TWO Bombs I want them both found. I.Q. you take cover behind Blitz and scan the perimeter for enemy gadgets, Sledge and Thermite will take out anyone coming your way. Sledge take the flank, Thermite I want you to watch Blitz." Once again I.Q. felt safety behind Elias and his shield. Ash took out her drone and began scouting, she sent the drone in through the building and found the first bomb just past the front door and through a large library, and shortly after found the second bomb on the second floor of the college in some sort of chemistry lab. Ash then spoke to the commander.

"Commander we have the first bomb on ground level in a room connected to the library and the second bomb on the second floor in a chemistry lab of sorts, I don't know how many tangos are in there." Kirov then responded saying.

"Roger we are getting you, copy, we have visual of the two bombs relaying with I.Q. to see what enemy traps are like." Kirov then turned his signal again and said.

"I.Q. what do the enemy electronics look like on that floor?" I.Q. then spoke saying.

"We have nothing more than a couple nitro cells, we will clean them up and then we are ready to move to bomb A." Kirov quickly spoke.

"Roger sounds good up here, take out those gadgets and then move with the rest of rainbow to diffuse the first bomb, eliminate any and all hostiles." I.Q. responded saying

"understood command." she then turned to the other three soldiers and spoke saying

"Command wants us to move up and diffuse Bomb A." The other three soldiers then moved up behind I.Q. and followed Blitz through the front door. While I.Q. carefully disabled enemy I.E.D.s that she picked up with her Spectre they then approached the wall that separated the library from the bomb site. The wall was wide and thin but was protected by a thick layer of steel. The enemy terrorist had used one of their makeshift reinforcements. A long retractable plate of steel that rests against and is bolted onto the side of a wall or roof. It adds enough strength that most breaching tools can't penetrate it, most, but not all. It was time for Thermites Exothermic charges to shine as they can burn hot enough to cut through the steel wall. Thermite then laid out one of his Exothermic charges on the wall and had everyone stand back. He then turned and spoke to his team.

"Everyone ready? Clear!" The room filled with sparks as Thermite ignited the charge it sent metal and dust flying onto the floor as it ate away at the wall. It then finished the reinforcement off by detonating a C4 charge that blew a big hole straight through the middle of the wall. The five soldiers immediately entered the Bombsite with their guns at the ready. They then encountered a group of tangos standing by the bomb site, they were fiddling with the valves and other components so I was easy for Blitz to flash them and clean them up. Team Rainbow proceeded to gear up and take position. I.Q. and Blitz guarded the doorway, while the other three guarded the second, newly created entrance in the wall. Thermite then pulled out his small diffusal box and began to type on the computer's keyboard. After he typed in the code the Computer began to send a wireless deactivation code to the bomb. The diffuser needed some time to crack the bomb's security so the team had to defend it until it was ready. And God knows it was it a fight. The enemies began pouring in from all directions I.Q. and blitz had been hung up at the door they were defending. Blitz would blind the group of attackers and leave them for I.Q. to finish off. The three at the hole in the wall seemed to maintain their leverage well enough until the terrorists began to climb in through the windows in the back. Sledge had only barely heard it, as they were breaking the glass of the windows and turned around with his rifle in hand and made them wish they never entered. After the bomb was defused it seemed the terrorists had begun to back off and regroup likely to make their last stand on the second bomb. Team Rainbow also took the opportunity to regroup and Thermite spoke into his radio.

"H.Q. we do not have enough ammo to complete this objective, most of our ammo has been expended already." Kirov then spoke to six on the radio.

"Six, we need to give our troops on the ground some ammunition they are running dry." Six replied saying.

"Negative that situation is too dangerous, we cannot risk sending in an untrained operative to resupply ammo they are going to have to find a way to complete the objective with what they got."

"But Six?" Said Kirov.

"But what? that's an order Commander." Said six as the line went dead. Kirov angrily knocked some of the papers on his lap to the ground. He then grabbed the radio once again saying.

"I'm sorry, rainbow but we are unable to provide resupply at this time you will have to make it by with what you have."

"This is a load of Bollocks!" Said Sledge. "We need that ammo now!"

"Try taking the weapons from the dead terrorists, you guys are supposed to be experts at all major types of weapons right?" Sledge looked at the ground and grabbed a 591A1 shotgun, he pumped it and tossed the burnt shell out of the chamber. He then proceeded to pick up all the shells he could find. The other operators did the same thing finding weapons and ammo. Blitz, however, couldn't pick up any of the weapons on the ground because of his shield, that only allowed him one hand to use a weapon. but was confident that he could make the rest of his ammo work for the rest of the operation. Kirov then tuned into their comms and spoke once again.

"Copy that Rainbow team, enemy forces are condensing on the second bomb site you need to make your way there before they lock it down. We are going to group I.Q. and Blitz since you two seem to be working so well together into squad Charlie. Sledge, Thermite, and Ash you three will be part of squad Bravo. Charlie will push up to Bomb B through the stairs. And Bravo squad will rappel in through the windows" The team then got locked and loaded and moved to their positions. I.Q. got behind Blitz. At the stairs, and Bravo team moved to the outside windows and how their rappels positioned. Blitz turned and looked at I.Q. saying.

"How are you holding up." I.Q. looked Blitz deep into his eyes and said.

"I'm holding on…" Blitz then put his hand on I.Q.'s shoulder and said.

"we will make it through this... together." She didn't need to even try to feel safe, she always felt safe with Elias and felt confident at this point that they would make it through. Blitz let go of I.Q. and two soldiers began to push up the stairs. They made it to a small doorway and I.Q.'s gadget picked up the electrical signals echoing from the door frame, Blitz made a precise shot through the wall and disabled the trap, they then began to walk through the newly secured doorway into the Chemistry lab. There it was, the bomb that they must disable. It rested in the center of the lab with Charlie squad on one side and a whole company of White Masks on the other. I.Q. then whispered into her Mic.

"We are in the objective, all tangos are on the east corner of the room." Thermite then responded saying.

"Roger…" Suddenly the barricaded windows beside the terrorists broke open and a blaze of gunfire entered the room mowing them all down. Bravo team rappelled through the windows and got their boots soaked in the blood of their enemies. They then began to walk towards the bomb as one of the downed terrorists reached for his gun. Sledge saw it and stepped on his hand. The man Howled in pain and Sledge put him down swiftly with a round out of his sidearm. After that, they reached the bomb.

"This is it," Said Thermite.

"The last bomb after this we are home free, and the cleanup crews can fix what's left of this place." They then examined the room the problem was the entry points there were two doors and multiple rows of windows that they could rappel through. Kirov then called to the troops on the radio

"I see the situation you're in alright I want Thermite watching the east door, I.Q. watching the west door and the rest of you checking those windows I want this place locked down." Thermite then planted the second diffuser and they prepared for all hell to break loose. The room itself became the hot zone for conflict. Tangos poured in through the doors and were dispatched by the watchmen but the real threat was the windows, they were pouring in through the windows, like insects, Being dispatched one by one and while they neared it they never actually reached the point that they would become overrun. I.Q.'s door was eerily unoccupied with almost no White Masks pushing through that entrance. She glanced over to see Blitz bravely taking on multiple foes with his shield in one hand and a pistol in the other he would flash, bash, and shoot, repeat no matter how much abuse he took he kept going. He was only described as fearless and tougher than nails. Suddenly multiple rounds flew by I.Q. but barely missed. I.Q. looked back at her door to see a figure at the end of the hall. This was the same man from the training simulation, but I.Q. new this wasn't an actor. It was the same man with the bomb. Clearly Rainbow got their intel right as far as suicide bombers go. What she noticed almost immediately was his leg. He was badly injured and wasn't running at her as much as he was limping. He also had multiple sparks flying from the bomb on his chest, I.Q. new that the bomb was slowly losing power. But that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous, He pulled the trigger on his gun but heard nothing more than a few "Clicks" Signalling that the soldier was out of ammo. He then threw his pistol on the ground and began moving faster, and faster forcing himself beyond his body's limits, the sound of his bone cracking and muscles tearing filled her eardrums. It was disturbing, to say the least. I.Q. raised her rifle and felt a shooting pain, there was a bullet wound in her leg that began to hurt and bleed profusely, _"How had I not noticed this sooner?"_ she tried to stand up and walk but couldn't all she could do was crawl back until she was leaning against the table behind her. She went to shoot but heard nothing but.

"Click" "Click" She was all out of rounds. She dropped the rifle and grabbed her pistol, she began shooting at the man. It slowed him down but did not stop him. She kept firing until she had to stop and reload, and she kept doing it until she was out of ammo. The man was likely on Crystal Meth or a similar drug because his body was torn to pieces to the point that he was holding his guts in his hand but he kept pushing forward. Blitz looked over to see the man approaching I.Q. and screamed.

"MONIKA!" At that moment Blitz lived up to his name. He charged at the man bashing him in the ribs with his shield. It launched him into the wall in front of I.Q. Blitz dropped down on the ground and grabbed her hand. He then put his other hand on her cheek. Her skin was deadly pale and cold. I.Q. was bleeding out and was about to go unconscious. It seemed that all she had the strength to do was watch what was happening around her. It took all of her willpower to stay conscious. Blitz spoke out in increasing volume.

"No…. No…..NO…...NO….NO!" He grabbed her leg and applied pressure to the wound while saying.

"Stay with me…...NO….. STAY WITH ME!" The rest of the team turned to Blitz to help but only had the time to scream.

"WATCH OUT! The man who Blitz presumed dead pulled himself out of the hole in the drywall and clicked his kill switch in his hand to engage the bomb on his chest. No more than a few feet away from the two soldiers. Blitz planted his shield on I.Q. to protect her. leaving his body exposed. I.Q. then saw the flash of the bomb vest and passed out.

* * *

 **December 18, 2015**

 **Bartlett University Campus**

 **2130**

"There was no other team in the world that could have accomplished what you did today. But this victory comes with a cost, our nation has been hit where we are most vulnerable. But we must remain vigilant in the face of this emerging threat. As the ultimate goal of our enemy is still unknown. Reactivating team Rainbow was the right choice, the only choice in these uncertain times. Our work is just beginning, we will track down the people responsible for this attack. We will show them that we are not afraid. And we will stand ready to repel any threat they throw our way, now that Rainbow is back." Said Six

"It's been an honor" Said Kirov

"The honors all mine, you will go down in history as one of the greatest commanders of all time If we succeed with our mission, Although your work is far from over, it is not what you need or I can only assume, want to focus on right now. You are worried about your team. Don't worry I had them airlifted to Lahey. But they are in critical condition. I'll have the squad car take you over. I am sorry about this Commander, I truly am."

* * *

 **December 20, 2015**

 **Lahey Hospital & Medical Center**

 **0930**

I.Q. opened her eyes to see whiteness, it was white paint on the ceiling. She was laying in a bed with clean fresh sheets and she was wearing a blank hospital gown. She looked at her arm and saw the hospital tag, Then she looked to her side and saw a vase full of flowers, after that she looked forward and saw the bleak green hospital walls and the tall brown door leading to the hallway. In through the door came a doctor. He was tall and balding, with pale skin and a long white lab coat. With a dress shirt and tie underneath. He then spoke.

"Ms… Weiss. I'm glad to see you're awake my name is Doctor Bratton. You have really taken a beating out there, but you are a hero you know that right." She looked confused and spoke to Bratton.

"What happened to me out there?" She said

"It appears in your X-Rays that a bullet pierced through your quadricep and caused some pretty serious soft tissue damage and some even worse bleeding. It could have been much worse, but luckily with the timing, with which your friends got you here, you should be fine. But recovery will take some time and even then that leg still might not work the way It used to after this is all over." Bratton said.

"My team….. My friends are they here?" She said.

"Why yes they are, would you like them to come visit you?" Bratton said

"Yes, I would please." She said.

"Alright, they will be in here in just a minute," Bratton said as he left the room. A few minutes passed and then the door opened once again and in walked Monika's team. Jordan, Eliza, Seamus. But there was no sign of Elias.

"How you doin' you angel of death" Spoke Thermite. Thermite got his arm Elbowed by Ash saying

"Jordan!" Thermite scratches his head and says.

"Heh… Heh… Sorry." Eliza got close to Monika and said.

"how are you holding up beautiful girl." I.Q. then spoke.

"I'm fine, but what happened out there?" Sledge replies.

"That was one heck of a display out there, I'm really glad you're on our side, you are tougher than all hell, I tell you." Ash sighs and says.

"We got the bomb diffused successfully and you got here safely, And that's all that matters."

"What about Elias? Where is he?" I.Q. says in a more frantic and rushed tone.

"Right….. He's here and he's fine….He's just, undergoing a…... bit of surgery right now…" Ash says.

"Where is he…. Right Now!?" I.Q. says almost shouting.

"He's here but you can't go see him right now, you're in really bad shape and he's not doing too well right now either." Said Ash. I.Q. then pulled herself out of the bed and begins walking. She almost collapses from the shock of pain alone but forces herself up with the help of a chair and begins walking down the halls using the walls for support.

"Monika, get back here right now!" Shouted Ash, it was no use, however. Thermite then walks out of the room and turns around briefly before leaving and speaks to Ash.

"She might just be crazier than you." The three begin to walk down the hall following I.Q. saying things like.

"Get back here." And "You're doing more bad to your leg than good." and "You don't even know where he is." But I.Q. knew that navigating a hospital was easy enough. Plus she was smart. She continued walking and struggling more and more with each step but she continued to push even when the tears started to pour out from the pain, after a few more steps I.Q. was forced to sit down on a bench near the side of the hall, The pain became too much. "Are you ready to go back." Said Ash. Suddenly Sledge walked around the corner pushing a wheelchair in his hands.

"Here use this." Said Sledge. I.Q. picked herself up out of the bench and sat down in the wheelchair expecting to be wheeled back towards her room, but found herself being pushed in the opposite direction. Towards the I.C.U.

"What are you doing!" Said Ash.

"She is going to try to find him eventually, we might as well do her a favor by not leaving her alone or making her walk on that leg." Ash reluctantly stepped aside. Sledge began to push I.Q. through the halls with the rest of the team following behind. sign after sign they made their way through the hospital before reaching the I.C.U. they stepped through the doors to the observation deck for surgery viewing and walked past two men in suits.

"Ma'am this is a private observation deck I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Said one of the men. Thermite and Ash walked through the doors behind her. Thermite then said.

"How about you take a step back pal she's part of team Rainbow." The man's face immediately changed from one of confidence to one of fear as he said.

"My apologies, sincerely, to all of you, you people are hero's you know that." The two men quickly left the room and the doors shut behind them. All that was left was the four soldiers standing on the observation deck. Ash grabbed I.Q.'s hand and put her other hand on her shoulder because she knew exactly what was going to happen. As I.Q. saw the surgery she stood up out of her wheelchair and leaned against the observation glass. Sledge reached out to grab I.Q.'s arm but felt Thermite's grasp on his arm.

"...Don't..." Whispered Thermite softly. Sledge put his arm back at his side and watched. I.Q. was shocked at what she saw. she watched as the surgeon carefully plucked pieces of metal out of the chest of a man. The chest had the same familiar definitions and scars as she remembered from a few nights before. She then looked at the face of the man and saw him. Elias. She tried to cover her mouth put it was too late she let out a soft cry, and the tears began to pour down her cheeks and roll down her neck. She buried her head into Ash's shoulder, and hugged her, Ash then began to say.

"It's o.k. you're strong remember…and so is he." It was at this time that the doors swung open once again but this time the person walking in was nonother than Commander Kirov. The men saluted to the commander and stood at attention. Ash was about to let go of I.Q. when I.Q. ripped herself out of Ash's arms and ran to the commander she punched as hard as she could into the commander's stomach and did it again and again. But in her very fatigued and weakened state, she wasn't able to hurt the commander at all. Kirov simply grabbed her fist and said.

"I know how you feel, but you need to remain calm right now….. Aren't you supposed to be in bed." I.Q.'s tears began to pour more rapidly now and she gave the commander one last light punch in the chest before saying.

"You… You did this… You are the one who hurt him….. You put him on that table."

"It wasn't anyone's fault It was a set of very unfortunate circumstances, but you know what, you and Elias handled it like soldiers and it's because of that, that you are both here right now." Said Kirov.

"Tell me this at least." Said I.Q. as she cleaned the tears from her cheeks. "How did it happen?" Said I.Q. The commander frowned at the question and said.

"You really want to know."

"Yes…" said I.Q.

"The suicide bomber set off his explosive device and it sent an explosion in all directions. Elias was wearing heavy body armor that saved him from the explosion but it couldn't stop the shrapnel, and the shrapnel entered his body in multiple locations in his abdomen." Said Kirov

"What about his shield." sniffled I.Q. "What happened to it…." She knew she wasn't going to like the answer.

"He put the shield over you and it saved your life and your body from almost all of the harm. Luckily the shockwave didn't kill you. I suppose his bomb wasn't at maximum power due to the amount of damage he had already taken." I.Q. then began to cry profusely and the tears didn't stop until she heard the commander speak up.

"He is strong and I guarantee you he will pull through, trust me. But for now we need to push on without him, we need to give him time to recover from what happened here. I'm sorry to put this upon you. But you need to go back and get some rest." Monika didn't know what future for her was in Team Rainbow. But she didn't care. She lost a part of herself. A part of joy, happiness and something else, something more. She finally understood what Elias really was to her.


	6. Aftermath

**CHAPTER 6: AFTERMATH**

 **January 25, 2016**

 **Location Unknown**

 **0800**

Kirov was standing on top of a mountain top. He could see for miles in any direction and felt nothing but the warm sand on his feet and the burning sun on his back. He breathed in the hot fresh air. And did nothing else but stand and watch. The reason for this was that even when he tried to move he couldn't. His feet were trapped in the sand and he could not rip them free no matter how hard he tried. It didn't take him long before he noticed a man, he was hanging onto the edge of the cliff and was slowly losing his grip. He was clearly a soldier as he had a buzzed head and wore the standard marine desert camo. He looked at the commander and said only these words.

"Why are you just standing there? Help me! why would you let me slip Sarg." As he said that he lost his grip and fell off of the cliff where he fell to his demise, the sound of his screams filled Kirov's ears and were almost enough to make a man go mad. It was at this point that the commander awoke from his sleep. He was in a sweat, lying in his bed at Hereford Base. He felt the cool January air flow over his body as he rested his head back onto his pillow. Suddenly the tent flap leading to his bed opened. In came a distraught Twitch, She was wearing her black assault armor with ammo pockets and knee pads and had a black ski mask over her face and in her hands she had a french Famas, she pointed it at the opposite corner of the tent with her barrel and then lowered the gun to the ground before saying.

"What's wrong Commander? I heard screaming." The commander looked at her before saying.

"It was only a nightmare….. I get them all the time, so you don't need to check on me every time….." The commander said In a sigh, he didn't like the feeling of behind babysat by his soldiers but this had been the third time that month that Twitch had prepared for combat after hearing the commander scream.

"Roger that, I just had to see what was happening you never know if it was something serious…" Kirov looked at Twitch with a saddened look before saying.

"That's alright I just don't want you to have to check on me every time, I'm surprised you haven't got any rest of your own after that midnight raid we did." Twitch then responded saying. "I did, I got a solid 6 hours of rest and was beginning my afternoon training when I heard you." The commander then said.

"I did, I got a solid 6 hours of rest and was beginning my morning training when I heard you." The commander then said.

"Carry on then…" Twitch left the tent. The commander was very impressed by the mentality of the two new GIGN operators he recruited but something about them seemed off. It felt to him like they were inhuman. In the way the talked and acted, and especially in the way they trained, It seemed that there wasn't a second that would go by when Montagne wasn't lifting some weights or when Twitch wasn't doing some sort of shooting drill. Although a substantial amount of research goes into recruiting his operators. The commander always like to have his troops tell them their skill set to him themselves, and sometimes the soldiers would have something that was off the record to tell to the commander. He still remembers what each of them said to him when they first joined Team Rainbow three weeks ago.

 **Three Weeks Prior**

"Good afternoon commander, my name is Emmanuelle Pichon or Codename Twitch.

"Twitch huh... is that some sort of joke for what your drone is capable of doing?" Scoffed Kirov.

"I'm sorry commander I did not draft my codename. Maybe the brass has some sick sense of humor." Replied Twitch.

"I was only kidding, Your codename means nothing when you have a skill set similar to yours." Said Kirov, The commander looked at a small screen that rested on Twitch's wrist. It looked similar to I.Q.'s spectre but instead of flipping a cover to expose the screen the touchpad was always shown.

"That must be what controls your drone. Am I correct?" Said Kirov.

"You are Commander, without this my RSD would be useless." Replied Twitch.

"Taser rounds huh, I assume they hurt." Said Kirov

"Hurt. Ha ha... It is excruciating, my shock drone is very unpleasant and I know because I have felt it before." Replied Twitch.

"How did that happen." Asked the Commander as he cringed.

"Try disabling the drones chassis when you cannot turn off the circuit and have two metal rods to manipulate the wires." Said Twitch. Kirov then looked across the room to the other man. a towering giant of a human, that was so big and strong that he could most likely beat even Sledge in a wrestling match. He also had something to say to the commander when they met, although he seemed much more like a man of few words than a talker, which didn't matter to the commander.

"Gilles Touré. I assume?" Said Kirov

"That would be correct. but you probably will want my codename, I am Montagne. I think I got the name from my time and experience in the National Gendarmerie and GIGN." Replied Montagne.

"Mountain is a good way to describe your stature soldier. I would hate to be the terrorist who crosses you." Said Kirov

"Thank you, commander, I also came expecting that I will be taking up a shield to be your point man since your current one is... Out of commission. Sorry about that by the way." Said Montagne.

"Don't worry about that Gilles. Yes, I have recruited you to be my point man, but don't worry about it, He will pull through. And your shield is... of special design to put it in simpler terms from what I hear." said Kirov

"Oh yes, sir. It is two plates that expand into a large body length shield. I can become quite the barrier thanks to the custom _Le Rock_. Good think GIGN let me take it." Replied Montagne.

"Yes, that was... quite fortunate for our team." silently spoke Kirov.

 _"These are not ordinary soldiers... There is something off about them..."_ Kirov thought to himself.

* * *

 **January 25, 2016**

 **Hereford Base, England**

 **0815**

The commander thought back to the assault on Bartlett and the circumstances that bestowed his troops. He felt sorry for Elias but he knew that what happened there was nobody's fault and was ultimately an unavoidable tragedy, But the commander knew that Elias was strong and would make it through soon enough, more than Elias who Kirov was really concerned about was Monika, she had… Changed since the incident and not for the better. She seemed more bitter than her usual self and began to drift away from her fellow operators. She didn't seem to work as well with Montagne as her shield as opposed to Blitz. But she got the job done nonetheless on the few small White Mask raids that the team had done since Bartlett. Twitch, however, had quickly become a leader to the team and had excelled Kirov's expectations, filling in for I.Q. while she recovered from her injury. And Montagne had followed orders better than any man Kirov have ever commanded. The commander walked out of his tent to see what the team was doing on their day of rest. Sure enough, Twitch and Montagne were training when they should be "resting." But the remaining members of team rainbow took this rest to heart for they were tired of the weeks of training and fighting that they had endured. Thermite walked out of his tent with some black shorts and a tan shirt tucked in, he poured some liquid out of his coffee mug onto the ground and approached the commander. He then said.

"Mornin' Commander, how'd you sleep?"

"Terrible….."Said Kirov

"Yeah, I thought so I heard you screaming all night and almost got up to check on you but figured it was one of your night terrors," Thermite responded to the commander.

"Yeah you were right, " Kirov said the Thermite.

"Well anyways, there's some joe in my tent if you're interested."

"No thank, Jordan." Thermite shrugged his shoulders and Said.

"Alright, talk to you later Commander." He then returned to the tent from which he came. The tent was smaller than the commander's but it had a small bed and a small table with some maps and battle plans. And that was all that Thermite really needed. He then reached for his thermos that was on a table, more specifically resting on top of a file, He took the thermos and filled his mug with the coffee then began to sip. He then sat down in a chair at one end of the table and looked at his Breakfast Date, Ash was sitting across the table in a chair on the opposite side drinking some improvised tea she had made over a campfire in a tin can. And looked back at Thermite with a distraught gaze. Thermite notices and says.

"What's wrong Gorgeous?' Ash then says.

"I'm worried about Monika, she hasn't been her same self since Bartlett. She hasn't been eating or sleeping. And I think she might be making herself sick."

"That was very traumatic what she went through at the bomb site. I would be a little shaken up too if that happened to me." Said Thermite.

"I don't think it has to do with what happened to her, I think she is like this because of what happened to Elias." Thermite replies with.

"Elias isn't dead, why is she depressed then." Ash gives him a disapproving look and says.

"It doesn't matter if he's dead, clearly Elias means a whole lot to her and getting that close to the dying was enough to really mess with her head."

"Well… you want to go check on her, we could try to cheer her up."

"That's actually a good idea Jordie, I knew that there was something in that head of yours…." Ash said in a joking manner.

"Ha! Ha! Yeah right… I think she's down at the shooting range let's go talk to her." The couple then left their tent and walked down the concrete path leading to the shooting range, they strolled behind the protective barrier and arrived right behind I.Q. She was standing in her normal slim jeans and light sweater but she had some shooting range glasses, and hearing protection on. She also had a holster on her leg for a side arm and along the other leg ran a long metallic brace, That would act to support her leg as she continued to recover. She wasn't supposed to be at the shooting range. She was supposed to be off her feet for several weeks longer, but outside of a mission I.Q. was never known for doing what she was told. I.Q. was holding her Steyr Aug and was putting several rounds down range at some paper torso and head cutouts. He was putting bullseyes directly into the head and torso of the target with ease and only stopped firing to reload her weapon. After firing her second magazine she stopped and put her gun on the table. Without looking she took her ear protection off of her head and said.

"Why are you two watching me?"

"We are worried about you, we were wondering If you wanted to come to our tent for some breakfast…" Ash said.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry" replied I.Q. She then reached for her gun to begin another session of firing when Ash quickly put her hand on top of the gun and said.

"You haven't eaten in two days, you need to recover your body, you're working yourself way more than you should with your injury."

"My injury!" Lashed out from I.Q. "My injuries are nothing…." Said I.Q. Ash then quietly responds with.

"You suffered some great trauma to your leg… please come to our tent… Have something to eat….. Stop training for just five minutes if that's all you can do…. We are just worried about you."

"Again… No thanks…" Replies I.Q. with more hesitation.

"Do it for Elias…" Said Ash. I.Q. quickly put her face mere inches away from Ash and said in an intimidating tone.

"Don't you ever say that name… Never say… that name… I just… I just can't…" I.Q. then felt the tears build up beneath her eyes. She had thought that she had to have run dry from all the hours of tears that she had shed them. But it seemed to be a never-ending cycle. I.Q. put her hands over her eyes and begin to whimper and cry softly. Ash grabbed I.Q. sides and pulled her into her embrace. Ash comforted I.Q. while thermite went and grabbed a blanket. The air was cold and they shouldn't have been out when they were. But Ash wasn't concerned on the temperature. Thermite wrapped the two with a blanket and then went back to the tent to prepare some coffee for the two. I.Q. spoke softly in between tears saying.

"I couldn't protect him… He had my back and I was supposed to have his… but no… he gave everything for me… He laid down his life for the taking when he gave his shield to me… and I couldn't do the same…"Ash spoke softly while patting her back.

"It's o.k… It's. o.k… He's still with us… And he's still with Rainbow… The commander promised that once he's recovered he will return to us… To you…" I.Q. then immediately gained a look of intense anger.

"And you would take the commanders word… Didn't he say he would try to bring us all home safely… He said it was a promise…"

"And the commander didn't lie, he tried his hardest and so did we, what happened was truly terrible but it was no one's fault... Now let's go back to our tent it's freezing outside." The two women began walking towards the tent.

* * *

 **January 25, 2016,**

 **Hereford Base,** **England**

 **0830**

Thermite approached the tent in which the coffee pot was, as he approached the front tent flap he noticed Sledge walking in the other direction past the tent.

"Hey, Seamus, what are you up to." Sledge looks at Thermite and spoke.

"I'm not good at this whole rest thing, so the Caber and I are going to the simulation building to bust some walls." Thermite replies with

"Alright have fun, I think I saw Gilles head in there earlier today, by the way." Sledge frowned at the statement. He never liked the GIGN operators, but he didn't say anything because he always had some mission or objective to accomplish. And the commander surely would not be pleased If two of his own were on bad terms with each other. He thought that the French were all hot headed and out of their league when It came to most things. He didn't like how Montagne was the one receiving credit for things that Sledge was mainly responsible for. Like neutralizing a tango in a room when Sledge was the one laying down suppressing fire. Sledge walked into the training compound with his Caber in hand ready to get to work. As sledge entered the building he noticed a large concrete wall that would be good work for him to swing at, as it would take him a while to break. Sledge enjoyed whittling things down until they broke. As sledge began to swing his hammer he noticed Montagne, the man was in a room parallel to Sledge and he could see him through a doorway. Montagne was practicing his martial arts on a training dummy. Sledge looked for a moment too long and Montagne noticed.

"Like what you see une luge (Sledge)" Sledge continues to hit the wall without looking. "What's wrong, You wake up on the wrong side of the bed." Sledge scowled and said.

"Piss off mate, before you make me mad…" Montagne then replies with a laughing response.

"Alright then, If you don't feel like talking how about this Seamus… A little challenge If you will… let's see who can clear the room above us the fastest."

"And what happens if I win?" Asked Sledge.

"Nothing but bragging rights my friend." Replied Montagne.

"You're on mate," Said Sledge. The two men then walked to up the staircase to the top floor and approached the room.

"This is how it's going to work." Said Montagne. We enter the room hit all three targets enter the grab the hostage dummy and run to the emergency exit down the hall, Whoever does it faster. Wins, fair enough?"

"Sounds alright to me." Said Sledge.

"You first my friend," Said, Montagne. Montagne grabbed the timer from a small table and said.

"Ready…. Three.. Two… One… GO!" Sledge then ran into the room with his pistol in hand, he quickly hit the first target, then aims to the side further and hits the second target. He then aims to shoot the third target and finds his pistol is jammed.

"Bollocks!" Shouted Sledge, Sledge then dropped his pistol and pulled out his knife he sunk it through the dummy with ease and moved to grab the hostage. He grabbed the hostage and ran to the exit.

"TIME!" Shouted Montagne.

"Looking good mate you gotta 19.6, My turn now." Sledge then took the timer from Montagne and said the same _"three, two, one,"_ countdown as before. Montagne took off. He was much faster than Sledge expected and darted into the room. He quickly took out all three targets without an issue and grabbed the hostage to make a quick dash to the exit.

"Time... 15.7. You won mate…" Said Sledge in a sour tone. Montagne noticed Sledge's sorrow tone and took advantage of it.

"Maybe this while show you that us Frenchman and women are a little better than you thought." Sledge was infuriated by the response. The two stopped in the middle of the hallway, and Sledge put his face close to Montagne's

"What did you say to me?" Asked Sledge.

"I see the way you Treat Twitch when we are training, I just thought it was a great experience to get you of your High-horse. Sledge then began to tighten his fist and Montagne noticed.

"What are you going to do Seamus, You aren't honestly just going to let a Frenchman win again, are you?" Said Montagne.

"You've ran your mouth long enough!" Said Sledge. Sledge cocked his arm back and swung it at Montagne's face but was surprised to see Montagne catch his arm and toss him to the side.

"That... Was a big mistake." Said, Montagne, as he began to peel off his armor.

"We will see about that." Said Sledge as he dropped his hammer. The two soldiers had taken off every last bit of armor on their upper body until they were down to their shirts and pants. They then began engaging in hand to hand combat, Sledge went for a punch to the jaw and was unexpectedly greeted by a tackle from Montagne. The two then began to wrestle to be on top. Montagne gained control of Sledges neck with his legs and attempted to put him in a triangle choke hold. Sledge used his back strength to lift Montgane off the ground and slam him as hard as he could. Sledge stood up with his hands ready and Montagne took a knee.

" _Cough! Cough!"_ Montagne coughed and spit up some blood on the ground, he then stood all the way up and said. and looked at Sledge with his fists up.

"I'm just getting started" Said Sledge. Sledge and Montagne then began moving closer to each other to continue fighting when they were suddenly disrupted by Thermite running in between the two of them.

"STOP!" Shouted Thermite as he put his arms out to split up the fight. He then spoke again.

"What are you two thinking, you jackasses." Sledge and Montagne did not break eye contact while Thermite was splitting them.

"Old Napoleon has one big mouth that I felt needed to shut for a bit." Said Sledge

"You just better hope that you don't cross me again, because next time your American friend won't be here to save you." Replied Montagne.

"I'm not saving anyone, you men should be smart enough to not be this Stupid. You are supposed to be elite Warriors. Right now you two look like a couple grunts that the White Masks eat for breakfast.

"Look why did you come here mate?" Asked Sledge.

"I wanted the key to the ammo storage that Kirov gave you responsibility for." Said Thermite.

"Speaking of the Commander here he comes now. And man does he look pissed..." Said Montagne.

"What the Hell is going on here!" Said Kirov. None of the men spoke until Thermite turned to the commander and said.

"These two were having a fist fight in here over some national rivalry or something. Montagne rebutted saying.

"No commander it was more than that it was..." Montagne was cut off by Kirov.

"I don't care what it was! You men have crossed the line and I won't tolerate it. You both will be put in On Site Suspension for a week!"

"But commander!" Said Sledge.

"Want to make it two weeks?" Said Kirov. The three men then went silent and the commander rubbed his eyebrows thinking of the situation. He then pointed to the exit of the building and said.

"Don't make me change my mind about this. Now get out of my sight!" The two men then picked up their gear and ran out of the structure.

"What do you make of this commander?" Said Thermite.

"I don't know what has gotten into these men but if we don't fix it soon, we will be walking on thin ice.


	7. Behind Enemy Lines

**CHAPTER 7: BEHIND ENEMY LINES**

 **January 25, 2016**

 **Redmond, Oregon**

 **2100**

A man walked to a small pedestal on a stage. He stood behind it and cleared his throat. The room was dimly lit and had large brick walls on all sides. The were crudely painted white in addition to being scraped and tattered. The floor and roof were both the same material, a splintering, molded wood, not fit for modern building safety regulations. But the men in that room did not care. There were rows of chairs. Some of them tipped over on their sides, and others were sitting up correctly. The front row of the Chairs were all sitting up and in perfect symmetry and order. There were three total entrances into the large room, two of them at the far edge of the room exactly opposite the stage, and one more beside the stage. By each door was a man wearing body armor, who also had an assault rifle and a White Mask. But what stood out most in the room was the two men sitting in the chairs in the front row. And they didn't look like ordinary white masks. They were wearing armor that was significantly thicker than the average White Mask's, They both unique weapons. MP5's and P90s. Both of them had some sort of high powered Military grade sidearm. Regardless of the variances, they both had something on them that was dangerous.

The man on the stage was average height, yet skinnier than most military personnel, he had messy black hair, and brown eyes, he had a stubble of a beard and a noticeable scar that went along his eyebrow and across down his nose. He wore a professional looking black suit, with a dress shirt, and bow tie beneath, he had long black gloves, and socks. It almost appeared like he was trying to cover as much skin as possible. He had a small pocket square in his suit and looked very much tidy besides his hair. Behind him stood three figures. Hiding in the darkness almost like roaches in an attic, They were also different from the regular White Masks, one man wore jeans and a jacket, nonmilitant apparel, the jacket had yellow stripes. And he had a small military jacket covering the rest of his torso. Another man wore a very thick camo coat with a hood that concealed his entire head and pants that were secured with an even thicker layer of body armor, with additional padding on his core and sides, he also had a backpack that looked to be full of gear, but the one who really stood out. Even more than the other two men, was a man wearing a black tactical suit, it had little outerwear besides his light pocketed vest. The man, in addition, had an eerie black tinted gas mask on. The first suited man approached a microphone on the pedestal and grabbed it with his gloved hand. He tapped it gently before speaking into it.

"Ahem… Good, Good… Welcome men, to the Brotherhood of the White Mask. The promise that you have made as you stepped through that door was to swear your life to the Brotherhood, and that means to uphold its duties. Your duties are simple, you will listen to me and take my orders, you will follow these orders to the letter and you will not hesitate or question, If you disobey, you get killed. Our prime directive as you know is to rid the world of all of its corruption and start a new World Order. The major powers of the Western world would have the public believe that we are the invaders because they are fearful. They fear the day we rid them of their thrones atop the bodies of our brothers. The attack on Bartlett was just the beginning soon all the world's leaders will tremble beneath us when we cut their corrupt governments out of the country like removing a tumor to rid the body of cancer. There newly assembled 'Rainbow Team' Is the next face in their radical plot to stamp out resistance, we will show them that we come prepared to kill those cowards. Now for the things you need to know, You will call me York. I will give you your orders. You will only take orders from me or if the situation arrives, our supreme leader who you will meet later If you prove useful. You are not ordinary soldiers and will not be treated as such, you are specially recruited by our leader to become our newest weapon. It is our response to the infamous team Rainbow. You two men are the newest members of the 'Black Daggers.' An elite group of warriors who will be used on special operations all around the world. We hand picked you for your talents because you are good... No... the best." Welcome to the Brotherhood. Now I will have the two of you arise and explain to me and your new brothers who you are, and what you bring to the brotherhood that entitles you to stay alive in this room." One man stood, He had a pair of white surgical gloves, and a white shoulder pad that would symbolize a medic. He also had room on the front of his armor and on his hips to put medical supplies or ammunition. he also wore long and extremely thick armor with knee pads, black boots, and he had a large helmet with a glass visor. He then said.

"I am Gustave Kateb, I'm a trained field medic and can keep you alive longer than any other man in the world. with my special training and little trickery with my... Stim pistol," He showed off his small pistol in his hand and then put it back in its holster and continued to speak.

"If I shoot you with it. you will receive a one-milligram jolt of epinephrine in a saline solution. In other words, it will put you back on your feet. This is one of my many means of saving lives." One of the men from the back of the stage with the gas mask walked towards York and whispered into his ear. York nodded with satisfaction and spike again.

"Well, Gustave for the sake of your skill set it seems convenient for you to take the codename of Doc for now..." Doc sat down and pondered his new title, as he did that the other man slowly stood up and looked York in the eyes and slowly gazed over the other men in the crowd.

"Greetings... brothers I am Julien Nizan I trained with GIGN and am tactically adept in holding defended positions and pinpointing enemy movement."

"What makes you different then your friend here Julien?" Asked York.

"Nothing... Other than being the GIGN Certified, finest Close Quarter Combatant in all of Europe, I have the finest training and talents, besides that... I just get the mission done." Replied Julien.

"Nothing huh... what do you think Bandit?" York said to one of the men on the stage who was wearing the racing jacket.

"He looks like he must have some muscles, I'd give him the trauma plates to haul around." Replied Bandit.

"Trauma plates... Ha ha... Yes, I think that you would do great at that position Rookie." Mockingly spattered York.

"Rookie huh, let's shorten it a little for a little ease. I think Rook would be a fine codename." Said, Bandit. York smiled at the suggestion.

"Yes, I will have to go with Bandit on this one. You have reached our inner sanctum... Rook now continue to earn your right to be here." Rook sat down in his chair and realized just what he had gotten into.

"Well the only reason you could have possibly made it into this sanctuary is if you had some sort of reputation that preceded you, but nonetheless I will give you some time to meet your new brothers before we begin initiation." The man then placed the mic back down on the pedestal and walked off the stage two white masks that were leaning against the walls began following him and guarded him onto the next room. The room suddenly became brighter, when some floodlights were turned on in the corner of the room. Doc and Rook sat in their seats wondering what to do next. Rook turned to Doc and said.

"What now Gustave?" In a french accent.

"We need to meet our new brothers who we will be fighting alongside." A man began walking towards the two.

"There's one now." Said Doc. The man was the one wearing the camo jacket, he had in his hand a Submachine Gun of some sort, it had military grade attachments. Red dot sights, laser sights, and grips. He approached the two men and then spoke in a quiet and unnervingly calm tone.

"Welcome to the brotherhood… I am Maxim Basuda, but that is not important, you can just call me Kapkan… I love to kill things and tinker.

"Tinker?" Rook Skeptically asks.

"о da (oh yes) with… many devices but my favorite is a little homemade claymore, screw it into a door frame or window frame and cover your ears because it is loud... and messy. Many men have lost their lives to them." Rook felt somewhat uneasy by the way, this brotherhood felt. But he knew that he was in doing in the right place. The brotherhood offered him great compensation for his services. Far more than he was receiving at GIGN. And he was after the money in the long run. Bandit walked up the three.

"Why hello brothers. I hope that old Maxim wasn't giving you to hard of a time. He has somewhat of a… fondness to recruits."

"I was just saying hello… To our new brothers… And I was leaving now anyways." Said Kapkan in a sly tone. Kapkan then walked away from the group and the Jacketed man replaced the spot that he left.

"Sometimes people need to be put in their place… Even me on the occasion, well that or a knife to their jugular vein while sleeping either option will work… You already know my name is Bandit. I have learned a lot from my time... with the police about this, Team Rainbow.

"Kapkan said you designed something, or you tinkered?" Said Doc.

"Ah yes well from what we know about the special forces, they will always find ways to breach through walls, even if they are reinforced so that's why I designed something to help prevent that. It's a car battery essentially but This baby has enough juice to complete a circuit through a large metallic wall and it can and will fry anything… or anyone who touches…. I assure you it's very unpleasant. Even the fanciest breaching charges won't resist this." Doc then said.

"As long as it keep's the attackers out, I'm pleased." Bandit smiled at the response. He then said.

"I like your attitude. That right there is the mindset that keeps you alive, and puts you on our leader's radar." Bandit turned to Rook before speaking.

"What about you... Rook are really what you say, the finest CQB in Europe?" Rook didn't even need to reply as Doc stepped into the conversation.

"It's true, he is the finest you will ever meet. I guarantee it and so does GIGN he has all the combat and training records there." Bandit looked pleased with the response.

"Well alright then, I believe you if Doc says it is true. Just prove your worth and you will find a place here Recruit." The conversation was ended early when a man ran into the room through the two doors in the front. The man was a White Mask and he shouted.

"We have two unknown armed assailants approaching the perimeter, they look to be police officers, not sure why he's here." Bandit and the rest of the troops in that room gather their weapons and armor from off the ground and began to run to the staircase that leads them upstairs. Bandit runs beside Rook and speaks to him.

"Looks like you two are getting your initiations, sooner than expected." The two men were in a police cruiser and approached the large structure that the White Masks are held up in. They both have average heights and builds, and were wearing regulation cop gear, light blue shirts with black ties tucked into their black park their car outside the front door and they both open their doors and look at the large building. It is massive and wooden, but it's very old. With most of its paint chipping and lots of splintering wood lining the ground. There also appeared to be a junkyard of metal and equipment near the side entrance of the building. There was no grass and the ground was only dry dirt. With no water nearby and there wasn't even another building for miles. One officer stepped out of his car and looked at the compound. He then reached into his car and speaks into the radio saying. Copy that H.Q. we have a sighting on the house we are beginning our sweep inside. The two men then grab their pistols and pull them out of their holsters. As they open the front door and begin to walk in they notice how run down and drab the entire establishment was. They saw a small wooden staircase leading upstairs and a large hallway leading in the opposite direction.

The two cops then decide to split up, one officer went up the stairs while the other officer went down the hall. The cop on the stairs is disturbed to see the first room he searches filled with mattresses with blood and fluids covering the floor. But before he could say a word a White Mask grabbed him from behind and put him in a choke hold and choked him until he was unconscious. The other man continued walking down the hall. Unaware of what had just happened to his partner. As he approached a large kitchen area he saw Bandit standing there with his MP7 in hand and he pointed it at the cop saying.

"You're a dead man friend" Before the cop could pull the trigger he felt his arm get twisted and turned to behind his back. The cop tried to let out a groan but his mouth was covered with Kapkan's gloved hand. Kapkan then moved his hand away from his mouth to allow his arm to sweep over his throat and choke him out until he was also unconscious.

The two men awoke in a small bathroom. The bathroom was crudely tiled and falling apart just like the rest of the house. The bathroom had four small separate showers. Both men were tied to small wooden chairs with their hands behind their backs and duct tape over their mouths. They were facing each other and were both under separate showers with a large drain beneath them. Suddenly two White Masks enter the room and take guarding positions by both of the tied men. After them followed York, Rook, Doc, and the other three men from the stage. York then walked to the closest of the two cops and ripped his duct tape off of his mouth, the man was Black with brown eyes and short black hair. He was terrified and said.

"Please don't hurt me… I'll give you anything you want… I have a son…" York gets infuriated by the cops words and punches him in the face.

"Did I say you could talk?" Said York in an intimidating tone

York then reaches into the officer's shirt pocket and empties it of its contents onto the floor. He finds a badge of the officer and a leather wallet, he opened the wallet and found a small picture of the man and a baby boy on his lap. York shows the picture to the officer and says.

"This must be your son. Isn't it… ISN'T IT!"

"Yes!" Replied the officer in a distraught tone.

The officer then stops talking. York then walked to the other officer and pulled off his tape. The man was White with blonde hair and green eyes. He looked less scared than the other officer and didn't say any words. York smiles at the officer's silence. He reached into the officer's pocket and finds just like the other officer a badge and wallet. This wallet, however, was smaller. When York opened the wallet he found a picture of the officer wearing a Marine Uniform and smiling in a group photo with two other soldiers. York tossed the wallet on the ground and turned to the other man. Bandit then walked into the room carrying the Ham radio from the police cruiser. York then said.

"And just to show you gentlemen we have nothing to lose from killing you, I will have the ex-patrolman speak to dispatch for you." The radio then echoed out with a woman's voice.

"Roger that Hotel 2-1 what's the status on your sweep?" Bandit picked up the mic and spoke.

"Copy that dispatch, we have cleared the house with no sign of hostiles. Returning to regular patrol route. The woman on the radio then replies saying.

"Copy that Hotel 2-1 all looks good from here, we now have you listed to carry with regular patrol route and duties." York then responds saying.

"Excellent job Bandit, now take Kapkan and any other men you may need and dismantle that disgusting vehicle on our front yard." Bandit and Kapkan then leave with the two White Masks leaving only York and the unknown masked man with Doc and Rook and the two restrained officers. York then spoke to the officers saying.

"Allow me to thank you, two officers, for your most humble sacrifice. You see I was the one who put out the emergency services call saying that there was a man breaking into my house… Oh please, how gullible are the first responders these days? Nonetheless you men will not die in vain for you will prove these two men to be killers of no restraint.

York then pulls out a large knife. The knife is slanted and has many sharp splits on it. Likely to cause additional damage when pulling the knife out of the body. The entire blade is Pitch Black and has some sort of gold encrustation on it. In a fancy font, it read.

"quis non timebit. (Fear No Man)" York handed the dagger's handle to Rook and said.

"This is your initiation brother, take our sacred dagger and coat its blade with the blood of the corrupt and separate the flesh from the followers of the wicked. Choose your prey and send them to the other side…" Rook hesitantly grabbed the blades handle and took it from York. He slowly walked towards the two officers. The Black officer was shaking and sweating profusely with fear. The other officer sat there with no movement. He had no fear in his eyes and was prepared for his demise. York grew impatient and says.

"Prove your loyalty brother, take what is yours, you cannot expect to Siege the world if you will not spill the blood of one man." Rook then accepted his fate and plunged his blade deep into the chest of the terrified officer. The man stops shaking and lies still, his eyes no longer move or blink. And blood begins to pour down the drain like a red waterfall. Rook grabs the dagger and pulls it out of the body. This results in even more blood pouring out and Rook got blood all over his gloves. The officer had died and his body drained itself into the shower. Rook then looks at the blood on his hands and realized what he had just become. Rook hands his blade to Doc with his wrists shaking uncontrollably. He then goes to take a seat behind the shower where he cannot see what he had just done. Doc then takes the blade and walked to the remaining officer. The man did not have a hint of fear on him and simply whispered.

"Do it…" Doc with much less hesitation than Rook puts the blade on one side of the man's neck and sliced until it came out the other. The officer didn't flinch and died with his eyes open as the blood began to pour out of the slash in his neck. As the officer released his last breaths, Doc walked to York and holds the blade out to him. York takes the dagger and says only a few words in a quiet tone.

"Welcome to the Brotherhood." York then walked out of the room leaving only Doc, Rook, and the masked man. The man stared at Doc before taking a few slow steps forward. Rook arose from his seat and walked over until he was standing beside Doc. The man wearing the gas mask then spoke.

"It's good to know that you will two are willing and able to spill blood." He then walked over to a knob on the wall and turned it slightly, the shower heads then began to spray water onto the corpses, effectively cleaning the walls, and floors, of the blood. The Man then spoke again saying. "I am Smoke, my real name... is not important, I am your squad leader and I will be relaying orders from York to you two, Kapkan and Bandit." Doc and Rook felt uneasy by the tone of Smoke. The other operators were unpleasant but something told Rook that Smoke was a special breed of terrible. "I am…. Very passionate about my work, and especially my beauties... Oh, My apologies... I am of course speaking about my gas canisters. A special Brew that I keep secret, only I am able to touch it and it kills the bad guys... Look all you need to know is that It will kill anything that walks. So don't ask about it, understand?" Asked smoke in an intimidating tone.

"Yes Smoke." Said Doc and Rook in a staggered synchronization. Smoke then shuts off the water once the blood had for the most part been sucked down the drain.

"Now if you excuse me, I have some business to attend to…" Smoke said as he walked away from the Showers. Rook and Doc simply looked at each other and they both knew what had just happened that day had already changed their lives forever but this was only the beginning.


	8. First Strike

**CHAPTER 8: FIRST STRIKE**

 **February 1, 2016**

 **Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia**

 **2300**

It was a dark evening in Virginia, But an even darker event was planned. There were two large vans driving down the road leading to the entrance to Langley AFB. The first Van had only one person aboard, a passenger who was ready to give his life for the Brotherhood and 1500 pounds of C4 and ignitions. In the second van was a White Mask driver and the five-man squad that York had put together. Rook, Doc, Kapkan, Bandit, and Smoke, along with a large onramp and an even large Bio-Chemical Bomb in between them. York then spoke to them on their radio earpieces and spoke.

"Are you picking this up."

"Yes, Sir." Responded Smoke. York then said.

"Excellent well I'll run over the plan one more time for a reminder or to those of you that have the attention span of a young child."

"Hey!" Angrily responded Kapkan.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" exclaimed York and the crew.

"Well I'll say it again anyways, we are going to strike fear into the heart of our adversaries on this night. We will breach and enter their precious airbase and prove to them that their beloved Military is not invulnerable to us. Van number one will give his life to the brotherhood and make an entry point in the tall metal fences surrounding their perimeter. Van number two. Will push through the newly made entrance. There you will find their largest hangar. hangar A, there we will deploy our new Biochemical Weapon using Smoke's… New formula. All of you have been equipped with hazmat suits and gas masks in order release the weapon. Its radius should be large enough to kill anyone in the base and send a message straight to our oppressors that we do not fear them. After it is done I will send a chopper to pick you up and return you to baseplate, There will be heavy resistance and men are going to die. Just make sure it's not you. York out" The radio then went to static as the vans approached the Air force base, rather than taking the normal road to the main gate to minimize exposure and ensure maximum time to secure the objective they would be making their own hole through the fence. They approached the far away point in the fence that they chose to be their insertion point.

"Three… Two… One… For the brotherhood…" Said a quiet voice on the radio. As soon as he finished his sentence the first van drove at full speed into the fence of the air force base. The van exploded violently and sent fire and ashes in all directions. What was left after the flames settled was a large gap that resided in the center of the fence. A loud siren began to whale and the second van drove through the fence, scraping the vehicle's body on the tight fitting fence. They got through to the other side. The van then began traveling as fast as it could to the hangar. The hangar doors were all closing. As the hangar was about to close the Van did not hesitate and drove straight into the air bay anyways, they were suddenly stopped when they found that the vehicle itself was trapped under the hangar door, like a mouse in a trap. The door continued to push down in an attempt to close but the van's roof was resisting. It wasn't going to hold for long however and the driver shouted to the five men saying.

"Get out, GO! GO!" The men then began evacuating out of the van and Three of them entered the hangar with their guns ready, those three were Bandit, Smoke, and Doc. The other two Rook and Kapkan Lowered the onramp into a position that they could roll the large and heavy bomb down onto the ground. The large door was beginning to separate the metal of the van and the men quickly pushed the bomb into the hangar, as they entered the hangar the van collapsed under the force of the hangar and was split in two. The driver also managed to safely get out of the van. The only other people in their area were some jet technicians, they were unarmed and cowering in the corner of the room. Bandit Yelled out.

"Do what I say or you die!" Bandit then points his finger towards a small utility closet with its door open, he then spoke again.

"Enter that room with your hands above your head, then latch the door and don't move. If you disobey me I will kill you." The group of workers non-hesitantly complied to bandits orders and entered the small room and latched the door. Bandit then looked back at the bomb to see smoke adjusting some valves and the other three operators watched from behind.

"Shit! This is a load of Bollocks I tell you..." Said Smoke.

"What's the holdup!" Yelled Bandit.

"One of the support valves was damaged by the hangar door. The mix won't distribute right unless I fix it." Said Smoke. The alarms continued to Blair and York spoke to the men on their ear pieces.

"Doc, you and Smoke push the bomb to somewhere out of sight and then protect Smoke while he fixes the bomb. Bandit you and Rook start Reinforcing some of these walls and wiring them. We don't need more entrances than we have to have. Kapkan… You deploy your presents for the soldiers."

"Yes, Commander!" Replied all of the soldiers. Doc and smoke then pushed the bomb to a small corner of the room that was protected by large shipping crates. And they began repairing. Bandit and Rook were quickly reinforcing the walls, their method of reinforcement was very much Improvised. They would drop a large metallic box that was narrow but long. It would then expand into a long sheet of reinforcing steel that would then attach to the wall through a lever controlled system of hooks that punch through to the other side of the wall and lock the reinforcement in place to the wall. After they used their supply of reinforcements left over from the van, Bandit began to use his Shock wires to electrify the walls just in case these soldiers were clever enough to carry any advanced breaching tools with them. Kapkan then began to deploy his Entry denial Devices on the two small doorways leading into the hangar. York then spoke again on his Radio.

"After we get that bomb fixed we need to find a way to open that hangar door so the gas can be released." Rook and Bandit then took position behind some large metal storage containers and prepared for the fight. Kapkan found himself a nice hiding spot on top of a catwalk with a great point of view on one of the doors. And it couldn't have been sooner. because immediately as they cocked their guns to fire both doors blew open from small battering rams. The van driver who was hiding behind a crate peaked to see what happened and took a round to the skull. In came close to 20 armed Soldiers. They were wearing tan colored armor and were carrying M16's and began to fire on the Black Daggers. Kapkan smiled as he saw the first man walk past his laser trip wire. Kapkan's entry denial device exploded instantly killing several men in the doorway. The remaining men were disoriented and walked into the room without a weapon in their hands. They were near unconscious and stumbled into bandits gunfire and got mowed down. Rook quickly dropped his bag of trauma plates and began attaching the plate to his body. Bandit took cover as Rook provided covering fire. Bandit dropped his MP7 and picked up a trauma plate he then attached the plate to his body.

Rook and Kapkan continued to put bullets through their doorframes until a soldier with a shield proceeded to walk through a hidden door in the back of the facility. He had the advantage but his life ended swiftly with an EDD detonation. The men continued to hold the soldiers back and until smoke and Doc pushed forward with the bomb in rolling across the hangar floor. Once they got the bomb in place Smoke yelled.

"It's good to go so, everyone. get back!" Kapkan then hits a small switch on the wall and the hangar door opens. Every man took cover behind in a small room off to the side. Behind the hangar door was a massive amount of enemy soldiers. Hundreds of Soldiers, and multiple vehicles. Tanks, and Humvees. All stationed along the runway. They all had their weapons pointed towards the Black Daggers. A man, most likely a commander of sorts stepped out of a Humvee with a Megaphone in his hand. He then spoke.

"There's nowhere to run! Put your weapons on the ground and come out with your hands up." The only response they received was the hissing sound of the bomb's valves turning. The soldiers heard the noise but it was too late. The gas began to spew out of the canisters and fill the hangar. The troops who step foot in the hangar were caught in it. They fell to their knees and began to choke and hack clawing their necks. then they dropped, Dead.

"The rest of the men began to back away slowly but as soon as they saw the gas they accelerated and began to run as the toxins were sweeping over them at an alarming rate. The soldiers caught in the open met the same fate as the first squad. The Vehicles then turned and hightailed in the opposite direction. Once they approached the gate to the exit. They expected the gate to open, but found that the crew working the gate were already killed by White Mask Snipers and the gate was unable to open. The Soldiers only hope of survival would be to attempt to scale and hop the 30-foot fence that had barbed wire on top. They were unable to do it in fast enough time inevitably and every one of them died from the wave of toxic gas. What they did not know however was there was a hole in the fence that White Mask's made that they could have used as an exit. The only people who survived were the pilots who were swift enough to get a chopper and fly out. The base was empty and the void of life. The Five soldiers then proceeded to the small asphalt LZ outside of the hangar. Bandit pulled a Flare from his satchel and ignited it. He then held the flare in his hand and began to wave it around. From the musk came a large Helo. It landed calmly on the ground and the five soldiers got in. The chopper had two other people. It had a masked pilot and Commander York. York then spoke to the men from behind his mask.

"What happened here today will go down in history. We struck fear into the heart of our enemies and proved that even their heavily funded Militaries are not safe. Mark my words Comrades. This is only the beginning of our work. Everything we did here was for a reason and that reason will be revealed to you when the time is right. But for right now, there is someone, that watched what happened here today and would like to meet you…"


	9. The Badger and The Bear

**CHAPTER 9: THE BADGER AND THE BEAR**

 **February 3, 2016**

 **Courchevel, France**

 **1200**

"I think it's time we have a talk… You and I" Said a Man with a deep and hardy voice. The man was wearing a long black suit with thin blue stripes. Underneath his jacket, he had a bright white shirt and sharp black tie. He was tall and bulky like a weightlifter, yet was gentle in the way he held a rose in his suit's pocket and wore precisely polished ebony shoes. He was bald, but he also had a thick beard. He had a pair of dark sunglasses over his eyes. And a black fedora. His skin was light but he had large scars running along his face that stood out. He towered in the center of a relaxation area. The building was very pristine and was built from shiny dark wood. The walls were a clean white paint, and there was a very decorative Chandelier that adorned the top of the room. There were unique woolen rugs along the floor and expensive looking tables and couches that surrounded a fireplace. The Man had his hand on a small statue of a Badger that rested on one of the many small coffee tables. He, however, was standing, while his audience was sitting. He then spoke again.

"Have you ever heard an old Native American Tale called The Badger and the Bear?"

"No my Lord." Replied York.

"It's an interesting tale of misfortune and betrayal, it's one that has been close to my heart for many years." The man looked at Rook and continued speaking.

"The story is essentially a tale of a family of Badgers that live peacefully in their home when one day a Bear arrives at their door hungry and weak. The Father Badger took pity on the bear and had his wife prepare a slab of meat for the bear to eat. The bear ate until he was full and then left. Every day the bear would return for more Meat until one day the bear arrived at the front door of the badgers with different intentions, He was strong and healthy from the kindness of the Badgers. He saw how nice the badgers home was with its stockpile of food and resources and then stomped his foot and exclaimed." "I have no dwelling. I have no bags of dried meat. I have no arrows. All these I have found here in this spot, I want them! See! I am strong!" The bear took everything from the Badger's and left the family alone in the cold to starve." The man reached and removed the sunglasses from his head before continuing. "The tail ends with the Badgers son asking for a blessing from the spirits, he then uses this to avenge his father and reclaim their home from the foul bear…" I think the world can relate to this too. The majority, just like me have been betrayed by the ones we helped. The corrupt leaders of the West only are where they are by using deceit and betrayal. They bring these tales of peace and prosperity and use them until the people make them strong. Then after they get what they want they take back every last bit of their honor." The man then took his hand off the badger statue. "What I've taken from that tale is that the only way to reclaim what was rightfully yours is to be like a Badger. Ruthless, and cunning, against a larger opponent. That's the reason I created the Brotherhood was to regain what was lost when the corrupt governments took over the lives of their supporters." The Man then turned to Bandit and said. "Most operatives in the Brotherhood don't ever get an opportunity to meet me, which is why you should feel honored. You will know me as Váli, And there is nothing else you need to know. I had to take a night off to meet my newly recruited Black Daggers. After your success at Langley, I am very pleased with your potential. Excellent work to all of you, and a special mention to my second in command, York, You proved yourself to be worthy of my number two. I think that all of you have proven to be worthy of my inner circle, That is the greatest honor I can bestow upon you. I know what all of you went through to become part of my great Order but there is a separate initiation to join the inner circle, Come this way." Váli then opened his arm and pointed towards a set of stairs that led down into a basement. The group of men all followed York deep into his basement. There was a small doorway and small garage. They continued to follow York until they reached a small room with White Mask flags adorning the many corners of the room there was a large ring-shaped rug that led around a large circular table. The table was adorned with lots of different glasses. And one large metallic jug in the center. Váli then grabbed the jug and filled five small shot glasses. The fluid was red like wine but something about it seemed off. He laid out the five shot glasses and said. "Now my children take a glass and prepare for the ritual. An old tradition says that every man who sips this fluid will experience a vision of their destiny and either in the form of a glorious dream or in the form of a nightmare." Each man grabbed a glass and smelt the fluid. It was vile.

"Widerlich! (Disgusting!)" Said bandit.

"This fluid Gentlemen, will test each man's worth, honor, and loyalty." Váli said. His face went from a smile quickly to a frown as he said. "And now that I have invited you to participate in this initiation you must go through with it, or you will know too much for your own good and become a threat to the order." The men shivered after the smell of the fluid, but they thought to themselves.

 _"If York went through this and survived, I'm sure we can."_ The men then took their glasses and drank the fluid. It was bitter and the void of taste. Each man then felt a burning in their chest that hurt so much that it forced each one of them into a chair beside the table. They then began feeling a sensation of suffocation and their throats close. As each one passed out they noticed York and Váli did not move or react to their pain and suffering. All of the men then laid unconscious. Each man experienced an unpleasant dream. Except for Smoke, he had a pleasant dream of his future. The concoction they drank forced upon them terrible nightmares, and a feeling of sleep paralysis for many hours for the other men, Rook's dream was particularly extreme for him.

Rook was standing on a large sheet of Ice and snow. He was surrounded by ocean in all directions and the wind chill that touched his body was extreme. He felt the cold temperature change his senses. He no longer felt pain, he felt only the numbness. Rook saw a woman, more like a silhouette standing on top of a small ice cap. Rook couldn't identify who it was but simply called out to her.

"Hello? Who... Who are you?" The woman simply responded to him saying.

"Don't let them do it. Don't let them take me." Rook was very confused and began walking towards the woman.

"It's o.k. I'm not going to hurt you, Who are you talking about, who is trying to take you?" Said Rook, But as Rook approached the woman she vanished from his vision like a shadow in sunlight and Rook's vision went black.

* * *

 **February 5, 2016**

 **Redmond, Oregon**

 **0800**

Rook eventually awoke and he along with the rest of the Black Daggers, Where back at their H.Q. in Oregon, He had an awful headache. And Rook got out of his bed to find he was no longer wearing his assault gear and was instead wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts. He walked around the corner to talk find York when he was coming down the hallway in his direction.

"What… Happened?" Said Rook.

"Váli is most pleased, that's all you need to know, welcome to the inner circle brother…" Said York. Rook didn't know what happened that night but what he did know was that He was no longer a small fish in a big pond. He was now in deeper with the brotherhood then he ever dreamed possible.

* * *

 **February 7,**

 **Redmond, Oregon**

 **1000**

"Men we have just received some fresh intel, suggesting a great opportunity for us." Said York. York was standing on the stage with his arms behind his back and a grin on his face. He then continued saying.

"Váli has authorized Operation White Sky, what I can tell you is we have reasonable evidence to believe that the Director of Rainbow Six will be onboard an airliner, at West London in exactly one week. What we will do is send some of our proud White Mask Soldiers to assault the Airport effectively canceling all flights from take off. Then we will send our Black Daggers on board the plane to find and secure the Director. She will be known during this operation, to all of you that this operation entails, as Lotus. By the time they know what hit them they will be long gone." York then lowered his grin to a scowl and shouted.

"Are you ready to cut the head off of the snake that is the Corrupt leader of a band of misfits?! We will show them what real Soldiers look like and she will beg for mercy before it is done. With this goal accomplished we will be one step closer to regaining control of the West, and starting a New Era of peace!"

"Yes, Commander!" Shouted the Daggers.

"Excellent then you are dismissed to your regular training." Said York. York suddenly got a ring on his cell phone so he picked it up and spoke.

"How may I assist you, Supreme leader."

"Did you tell your men of White Sky?" Asked Váli.

"But of course, My Lord." Replied York

"Excellent, what are your thoughts on the matter?" Questioned Váli, York responded saying.

"I have the fullest confidence, that the Black Daggers will be Victorious."

"I also have one more thing to tell you that I think you will find interesting…" Said Váli, York then replied saying.

"Tell me everything, Sir…"

* * *

 **February 6, 2016**

 **Hereford Base, England**

 **1100**

Commander Kirov was talking on his radio. While Team Rainbow patiently sat around him and waited for him to finish.

"Do we have confirmation?" Six replies with.

"We have confirmation of operation White Sky from our Inside Man, The Black Daggers will be on the flight at Heathrow Airport."

"This is great news… I'll tell Rainbow to start preparing." Said Kirov.

"This was very difficult to get set up, our Spy had to do get his hands dirty and almost got caught for it so, make this count." Said Six.

"Consider it done." Said Kirov. He then put the radio down and prepared to speak to his team. "We have confirmation that the White Masks will be at Heathrow Airport in England on February 14, we will be sending you and as many U.K. officers as we can to lock down that airport. As you know the Black Daggers will be there so this is a high-risk mission, you need to start preparing yourselves because this is going to be one hell of a fight."

"That's what I live for." Replied Thermite, he then also said. "Let's give them what's coming to them, I'm still pissed off for that attack on Langley, a lot of good men died for no reason, heartless Sons of Bitches." Sledge then said.

"I agree with Jordan on this one, we need to put those animals down before they can cause any more harm to the world."

"Whats our lineup looking like on this one Commander?" Said Thermite. Kirov then said.

"I'm putting you, Sledge, Ash, Twitch, and Montagne on this one. I want I.Q. staying at Hereford for this one to rest."

"Oh no, I am not… I'm coming with you one way or another." Responded I.Q.

"That's a direct order, Monika." Rebutted Kirov

"These are the savages that put Elias in the I.C.U. and killed hundreds of innocent people, I need to help on this one, in any way I can." Said I.Q. Kirov considered I.Q.'s request and then decided on what to do.

"Alright I.Q. I'm going to have you run papers for me in the command center. We will be stationed just outside the airport at a safe distance and you will be assisting me in direct command." I.Q. smiled and said.

"Thank you, Commander, It means a lot." Although I.Q. wasn't close to forgiving the commander for Bartlett she let up on those feelings for this one time to be allowed on the mission. Kirov then spoke.

"Alright people get your stuff ready, this while be your toughest trial yet. This one's personal, This one's for Blitz."


	10. The Cost of Victory

**CHAPTER 10: THE COST OF VICTORY**

 **February 14, 2016**

 **Heathrow Airport, West London, U.K.**

 **0730**

Kirov took his spot at the end of the table, in front of him laid a small laptop, the laptop had everything he needed for him to command. Kirov put on a small headset and spoke.

"Do you read me Rainbow?" Asked Kirov.

"Roger, we got you." Said Twitch. I.Q. sat next to the commander and waited for his orders. Kirov then turned to I.Q. and said.

"I need you to get the relay coordinates from the file cabinet." I.Q, then got up and walked to the cabinet and began to look through the many files. Kirov then turned his attention back to his team. "What's your status down there?"

"We are in position and ready for your signal." Replied Twitch.

"Roger, All we need to do now is wait for them…" Said Kirov

"Understood command" Replied Twitch. Thermite was hidden behind a concrete barricade with Ash by his side when he quickly kissed her and embraced her saying.

"See you on the other side."

* * *

 **February 14, 2016**

 **Heathrow Airport, Luggage check**

 **8:15**

The Black daggers walked down the wide walkway, The Airport was clear of any and all civilians due to their disturbance, but they made sure that the no one escaped from the Directors plane. The soldiers were all adorning their combat apparel and had automatic weapons of various shapes and sizes, the only thing they knew for sure. Was that History will never forget them for this. They continued until they reached the security gate that led to the passenger door of the plane. It was locked up tight but smoke came prepared. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small Nitrocell explosive. He put it on the lock of the gate and had his brothers take a few steps back. He then hit the detonator switch.

 _"BOOM!"_ The room echoed with sound and the gate quickly flung open with no lock to hold it tight. The men continued walking along the path to the passenger door. They opened the hatch and proceeded into the plane. They continued to move along the rows of seats to see nothing. Not one person was aboard that plane, they quickly searched the plane's seating area to see if the Director was hiding but they found nothing. Smoke pressed his ear piece and said.

"Baseplate we have no visual on Lotus, the plane looks to be completely Vacant. Smoke then heard nothing but static in his earpiece.

"Fuck! It's a trap boys they wanted this to happen!" Rook then looked out the window to see the small group of White Masks that were sent with them to secure the perimeter had been eliminated and were lying dead on the ground. The plane was now beginning to become surrounded by London policemen. Bandit then quickly said.

"We have no choice brothers, we cannot run all we can do is fight!"

"Agreed if this is where we die, then lets at least take some of those bastards down with us." Said Doc. The five soldiers ran to the opposite side of the plane's seating area, they found a small room that looked to be constructed for some sort of on flight meetings, they thought to themselves.

"We won't find anything better than this." The five then started reinforcing the walls with the reinforcements they brought with them. Bandit deployed his shock wires while rook began to pass his trauma plates around. Kapkan planted some traps on the doors near the entrance and smoke planted some of his self-described. _"Toxic Beauties"_ above the doors and in windows. Doc loaded his Stim pistol with an injection because he knew this one was going to get bloody. Once they were happy with their defenses Rook, Doc and Kapkan waited in the meeting room, while Smoke and bandit waited in a nearby office to get the flank on unaware Tangos. As they waited they each thought about _"what happened with H.Q?"_ and _"Will we get out of here alive?"_ They all assumed this would be the end for them, but that only meant they would fight harder. After a few minutes passed by a small drone entered the room that Rook was in. One clean shot from his Pistol was all it took to destroy the drone. He holstered his pistol and equipped his MP5, while hidden behind his deployable shield. Then he and the rest of the soldiers knew that storm had come. A Hailstorm of bullets flew through the door and the walls beside it sending wood chunks and splinters in all directions Doc, and Kapkan were prone below the bullets while Rooks deployable shield prevented him from getting hit. The barricade covering the door was nearly destroyed so Rook kept a close eye on it with His MP5. Suddenly a man ran in front of the doorway with a pistol in his hand. He was a London cop, He was quickly dispatched by Rook who killed him with a clean headshot. Then more men began pouring in and getting mowed down by Rook and Doc's defensive position, In the meantime, a small group of Policemen silently moved through the opposite doorway attempting to get a flank off of Rook and Doc. They were surely mistaken when one of smokes gas canisters was released sending toxins into the air. Most of the men died within seconds but a few men managed to crawl out of the hazard barely able to breathe, Smoke walked close to the officers with a long blade in his hand and said.

"Smile for the camera…" In a soft tone as he pointed to the camera on the roof, he then takes the knife and slits each man's throat slowly one by one, and he took pleasure from the act. He was unable to complete his ritual when shots were fired at him that nearly hit him. He swiftly ran back to the office that he was taking cover in. Bandit slaps him on the back of the head and said.

"What do you think you're doing Dumbass! Are you trying to get killed!" Smoke then says.

"I got a little carried away was all…"They then continue to fire until Smoke ran out of rounds in his primary weapon, he then switched to his secondary and continued to hold them back.

Doc and Kapkan thought they might finally have some breathing room because the attacks ceased their assault for a few minutes. This was suddenly interrupted when Rook yelled out.

"RAINBOW!" Immediately sparks began to fly from the reinforced wall and an exothermic charge was detonated that shook the entire room. Thermite then peered through the new hole he made in the wall and shot a direct blow to Rook's leg.

"SHIT! I'm Hit!" Yelled Rook as he fell to the ground. He needed to get back up in order to hold back the attackers but his leg was giving out from under him. Doc realizes this and shoots him from across the room with his Stim Pistol, this gave Rook an instant adrenaline rush and it was enough to get him up on his feet, He then began to shoot back at the attackers along with Doc and Kapkan. It seemed that they were hopeless in this fight, although Rook continued to shoot until he heard his gun.

"Click! Click!"

"Shit!" Yelled Rook as he went to grab another magazine he found that he is all out of ammo. He then pulled out his sidearm and continued to fire. Suddenly a frag grenade was thrown through the hole in the wall and it landed beside Kapkan.

"Oh, not today!" Said Kapkan as he threw the grenade back. As he throws the frag it detonates by the wall expanding the hole. Thermite and Twitch begin slowly picking away at their defenses with Montagne Providing them with plenty of covers. destroying the EDDs that were holding them back from entering. A shock drone suddenly enters the room, Rook saw it and then went to destroy it with his pistol but he got one good shock from it before he did.

"AHH!" Groaned Rook as he had taken such a beating. Rook ran out of ammo in his sidearm and dropped it to the ground. With nothing left to shoot with Rook thought this was surely the end for him and his team but the thought was erased from his head when suddenly a large hole was created in the wall beside him, in came Bandit and Smoke, they begin providing covering fire and they continued firing until Bandit got hit in the shoulder it sent him to the ground. Smoke then dropped to the ground to tend to his wounds, he was exposed and expected that he too would get hit and just like Bandit find himself on the ground bleeding out. And he fired his last few rounds in his mag before ducking for cover.

 **5 minutes earlier...**

Commander Kirov was coordinating with his team on their mics when Thermite spoke.

"Commander we have eyes on them and I am ready to take the kill shot over,"

"Do it." Said Kirov

"Taking the shot now." Said Thermite, he then took the shot but he missed and shot Rook in the leg.

"Shit. he moved, I only got a piece of him I'm going to have to move in order to take him out."

"Understood, move to neutralize." Said Kirov. Suddenly I.Q. ran to Kirov holding a cell phone and she spoke.

"This calls for you, it's urgent." Kirov took the phone and spoke into it.

"What is it?" York then replied saying.

"Well, Well commander. You must think you are so smart to fool the Brotherhood, but let this be clear we will find the spy amongst our ranks and he will be punished severely. Ah but that's not what's important, what's important is that you make the right decision, here and now. You have my men under Siege and I want your men to lower their weapons and back down.

"Who the hell is this? You can't honestly be serious in thinking we would let your gang of killers and psychos walk free from here?" Said Kirov

"Oh but I most certainly am serious, In fact, I know how I can sweeten the deal, you tell your troops to stand down and I don't kill your Soldier. What's his name, Elias was it…." Said York. Elias could be heard in the background shouting.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH, DON'T YOU DARE SAY MY NAME!"

"Listen here whoever you are, I will find you and when I do I will show no mercy." Said Kirov

"I don't expect mercy commander, just a trade between two officers of war." Said York.

"And how do I not know you're lying? Said Kirov."

"Just look at the news commander Lahey Medical is under fire by White Mask Terrorists."

Kirov sets the phone down and whispers to I.Q.

"Monika, what does H.Q. say about Lahey Medical Center as of this moment? I.Q.'s eyes widen and she says.

"Why… What's Wrong…?" Kirov says in a louder tone.

"I need it now!" I.Q. quickly picks up the laptop on the table and checks the database on Lahey Hospital & Medical Center and read it out to the commander.

"Lahey Medical center under attack by White Mask Terrorists… The new terrorist ring is suspected to have taken patients hostage for unknown reasons…" I.Q. sets the laptop down on the table as she gasps.

"Elias…" She whispers as she covers her mouth. She then looks at the commander to see what he was going to say. Kirov suddenly gets a call on another line. It was Six, he puts York on hold temporarily to hear what Six was going to say. Six then said

"Commander In-Ops is informing me that a high ranking commander is trying to do some sort of trade with you, Commander I don't care what the trade is there is nothing worth more right now than eliminating the Black Daggers, What are you going to do commander?" Says six. I.Q. looks at Kirov with a very worried look and whispers to him.

"Please, Commander" Kirov switches back to York's line and York quietly says.

"What's it going to be commander... Elias or the daggers…?"


	11. Fleeting Justice

**CHAPTER 11: FLEETING JUSTICE**

 **February 15, 2016**

 **Fort Devens Army Base, Massachusetts**

 **1200**

"Consider yourself lucky Commander." Said Six. Kirov rubbed his face with his fingers before replying.

"What was I supposed to do? They were going to kill him." Six looked displeased.

"Do you not remember what we stand for? We are here to eradicate the terrorist threat not give into its demands!" Shouted Six. She then gathered herself and in a more quiet tone spoke her next words.

"Just be thankful that your work at Bartlett was such a success, and that your team has a very strong voice when it comes to things like this. You are a very smart man Jason, but your actions at the airport jeopardized every free man, woman, and child on this planet. The daggers are our greatest threat and we had an opportunity to defeat them, and you gave it up. Just let that rest on your conscience commander..." Six then began to walk away and exited the small room they were in. The commander always thought he made the right decision regardless of what Six said. The room that Kirov was in was small and painted white, Kirov was sitting in a small metal chair, behind a large steel table. There was one small light fixture hanging in the center of the room. The room was extremely dull and had one entryway through a small yet secure door. The commander stood up and walked to the doorway, he pushed on the metal door and opened it to reveal a large hallway. He followed the hallway until he got to an exit for the facility. At the waiting area by the exit stood his Rainbow team, Thermite, Ash, Twitch, Sledge, and Montagne. The commander got close to the exit and said.

"Alright let's get going…"

"But wait!" Said Thermite,

"We don't even get to see Blitz. After what happened at Lahey medical you and Six agreed that having Blitz at a public hospital was too big of a risk so you sent him here to Fort Devens Infirmary. All this effort and we can't even see him?'

"After what he went through I think it's best if we give him rest…" Said Kirov. The room was filled with multiple voices with contradicting opinions to the commander's statement until Ash spoke.

"After everything, we went through, we should at least have an opportunity to see him!" Kirov then rolled his eyes, sighed and said.

"Alright, Alright, you can go see him. But we need to be out of here in five." Kirov scoffed, he then looked around and saw that there was no sign of I.Q. in the group.

"Where is I.Q.?" Asked Kirov in an annoyed tone. Everyone looked at each other for answers until Ash spoke up.

"She went to use the Restroom a few minutes minutes ago, It does seem odd she hasn't come back yet." Kirov then looked at the group and said.

"Well it doesn't matter, let's go see Blitz while he's awake." The group then walked down the hallway leading to the patient quarters.

 **5 minutes earlier…**

There was a large hallway that led to a small door. The hallway was relatively clear except for some miscellaneous carts with medical supplies and the occasional nurse that would pass by. The door has a small sign beside it that read Room 216. I.Q. pushed the door open to find a small patient room. It had a compact bed and a few chairs in the corner. There was almost no paint with the room being entirely white. And only one painting on the wall to make the room feel more comfortable. Suddenly another door in the room opened. It was a door to an adjacent bathroom and out walked Blitz. He was wearing a white shirt, with some brown shorts, he had no shoes or socks on and was looking down at his shirt. The shirt had small red patches. Likely caused by his wounds bleeding. He walked over to a small sink and mirror. He was holding a white roll of gauze and was about to apply the bandages when he saw I.Q. he dropped the bandages on the ground, And began to walk towards I.Q. Her heart dropped at the sight of Blitz and she too began walking towards him. I.Q. quickly forgot about everything else around her and embraced Blitz. He equally hugged I.Q. back, and they stood there holding each other in the center of the hospital room. I.Q. was happier than she had been in a few months at that one moment. I.Q. began to sniffle but held back from letting her full emotions out. She realized that she needed to stay strong if Blitz was not going back with them. Blitz noticed I.Q.'s distraught tone. I.Q. then whispered into Blitz's ear saying.

"I thought you were going to die…" She whimpered again as Blitz replied in a soft tone.

"I wouldn't die, the commander wouldn't let that happen." Although I.Q. was very pleased with the commander's decision at the airport, she still had some feelings of anger she refused to let go of from Bartlett. I.Q. felt the small wounds on Blitz's body with her fingers and spoke.

"You were torn to shreds... Are you, recovering well."

"I'm actually doing very good. The doctor says that at this rate I will be back in duty in a month or two. Thankfully I didn't have any wounds that would require long-term recovery." Said, Blitz.

"I… worry about you sometimes… Stay healthy so you can come back to me… To us sooner rather than later." Said I.Q.

"I will, I promise," said Blitz. He then felt IQ's leg brace with his fingers and began to fiddle with the straps before speaking.

"How is your leg holding up?" Asked Blitz.

"I'm doing fine you don't have to worry about me." Responded I.Q.

"I know… I know… I just wanted to make sure." Said, Blitz. They stood there in each other's embrace until the exit door swung open. In came the rest of the rainbow team, They watched as I.Q. rested her head on Blitz's shoulder and the two had their embraces tightly held. I.Q. lifter head and let go of Blitz to turn to her team. They stood there watching, and I.Q. said.

"Is it time to go?" She said quietly.

"Almost but we came to say hello to Elias." Said Ash, I.Q. squeezed Blitz one more time before letting go and walking out of the room. Ash, Thermite, and Sledge walked towards Blitz to conversate, while Montagne and Twitch stood at the back end of the room waiting for the commander's orders.

"How are you holding up you tough S.O.B.?" Asked Thermite.

"Pretty damn good right now. The doc said I'll be ready for duty in no time at this rate." Said, Blitz.

"Hell Yeah! We can't wait to have you back," said Sledge.

"I don't know if I want to leave, the hospital food here are pretty great." Said Blitz in a sarcastic tone. The group then began to chuckle to Blitz's joke when Blitz notices the French operators in the back of the room. He walked towards the two of them with his hand extended and said.

"You must be the new guys... I'm Elias, but they usually just call me Blitz." Twitch and Montagne shook his hand and Montagne spoke up.

"I'm Gilles, Gilles Touré. Or Montagne." Blitz then looked at Twitch.

"The names Emmanuelle Pichon, But... let's just stick to Twitch." Said Twitch

"It looks like you've been to hell and back Elias." Said Montagne.

"Ahh It reminds me of my days back with GIGN, those were good times, all except for when we would come back looking like you," Twitch said in a joking tone.

"Yes, I've seen better days, but… that's war for you." Spoke Blitz.

"Agreed, I couldn't have put it better myself." Said Twitch. The commander then walked into the room and looked at his watch.

"Alright, people sorry to break this reunion up but. it's time to move out." Spoke Kirov. The room then slowly emptied of its occupants.

"It was good to see you, Elias, we think about you all the time back at Hereford." Said Ash as she hugged Blitz.

"Thanks, Eliza, I'll miss all of you, this whole recovering thing isn't my favorite." Ash and the rest of the team left. Leaving only Blitz and Kirov.

"How are you holding up soldier." Spoke Kirov.

"Excellent sir." Spoke Blitz as he saluted.

"There is no need for that Elias, not after what you have been through. I just want to tell you to stay in good condition and get back to Hereford as soon as possible. Pretty soon shit is going to hit the fan and I will need your talents more than ever." Said Kirov.

"Yes, sir… can I ask, what's going on?" Asked Blitz. Kirov frowned and then spoke.

"Unfortunately no. It's classified until it is needed to be known. But don't worry, we will win this fight with the men and women at our disposal."

"Yes, sir. And can I ask why?" Replied Blitz.

"Why what?" Asked Kirov

"Why did you save me? You could have ended the Black daggers then and there but you chose my life over them." Kirov sighed and thought to himself before speaking.

"Because your life is worth more to this team than they are. I'm not going to let them kill one of my men, not again, not if I have a say in it."

"Are you talking about Afghanistan?" Asked Blitz.

"Yes… I am… well, I need to tend to my troops, stay frosty Elias. I think that your team will need you to pick them up when you get back. They are down in the dumps right now for morale. But that seems to be one thing that the terrorists just can't take from you, and that is your attitude. You never falter, and never let your team down." Said Kirov.

"Thank you, commander. I will." Said, Blitz.

"And I think that I.Q. especially seems to need you. I saw the way she looked when she was with you, it was like the life she once had was suddenly poured back into her and that was because of you." Said Kirov.

"How is she doing?" Asked Blitz.

"She is holding on but has taken Bartlett the hardest out of anyone. She needs you." Responded Kirov. Blitz smiled and then spoke.

"Yeah, she can be that way. I'll see you around Commander." Said Blitz

"Get well Elias." Said Kirov as he left the room and latched the door.

* * *

 **February 18, 2016**

 **Hereford Base, England**

 **1000**

Kirov stood at the end of a table in one of the small Military tents located on Hereford. He had his soldiers standing around him. He then stood up to address his troops.

"Men and Women of team Rainbow we have a new member coming here straight from central command. Six has informed us that he is from Joint Task Force Two and is being deployed with team Rainbow for Operation Black Ice. Further details of this operation will be revealed later, but for now, we are just waiting for Buck to arrive at Hereford." The group patiently waited for the man to arrive while they were cleaning and checking their firearms. Thermite then spoke up.

"What do we need to expect from this upcoming operation, Commander?" Kirov then replied in a serious tone.

"I'm not going to lie Black Ice is going to be bloody but we need to remain calm ann relaxed until we get some further intel on what exactly we will be doing." The tent was mostly silent with only the clattering of weapons to create noise. Suddenly the tents entrance flap opened up and in came a man. He was wearing a white camo jacket and tactical pants he had on a decent sized ammunition vest, black boots, and a white ski cap. He had a short brown beard and hair. He also had powerful blue eyes and light skin. Although he was not enormous. He was average height and had a solid build. He was carrying a large assault rifle with a large under barrel shotgun on the bottom. He leaned the rifle against a wooden support beam and proceeded to unzip his jacket. Underneath his jacket was a dark black shirt and he laid his jacket on top of his rifle. He turned and looked at the soldiers in the tent and then looked at Kirov he had with him a small document folder that he proceeded to hand to the commander. After the commander took it he saluted and said.

"Sébastien Côté... Codename Buck reporting for duty sir." The commander then looked at his other soldiers and said.

"Buck and I need some time to discuss Black Ice in private, I'm going to need you to clear out for now." The soldiers all stared at Buck as they left.

"Now... Buck, tell me the details on Black Ice" Said Kirov.

"Operation Black Ice... is a Rainbow assault operation on a downed luxury yacht up North at Baffin Bay, Central command thinks that it was put there on purpose this might be a staging area for a White Mask terror attack on Canadian borders. But that's not all… One of my… comrades from J.T.F.T. has been captured… and we are currently trying to locate her.

"I'm sorry to hear that, But you should know that team Rainbow will be backing you the whole way." Said Kirov.

"Yes, sir… I'm counting on it… I am specially trained and equipped for this operation as well, just give the word and I will carry out the order." Said Buck.

"Excellent, I'm glad to know you are capable. Now... I know this might seem uncomfortable but I need you to share the details of your training so we can learn more about this insurgent who was in your training." Spoke Kirov.

"I'll try to explain the best I can…" Responded Buck.


	12. Blood on the Ice

**CHAPTER 12: BLOOD ON THE ICE**

 **March 7, 2015**

 **Dwyer Hill, near Ottawa, Ontario,**

 **0600**

"Good afternoon men and women. As you already know, you have accomplished something already that is a feat in of itself. You have done what few have ever done and made it to the Special Operations assault course, and taken the first step into joining the elite fighting force known as the Joint Task Force Two. I am Lieutenant Colonel Tremblay and I will be the lead supervisor of your 7-month training. I will be blunt to start this off, The chances of making it through to the end are not great. but if you have no doubts in your mind and have a will of steel you might just make it. Now I will have you place your belongings in the labeled bins that align the walls to the right." Tremblay pointed to one of the far walls that had a long table laden with many bins of various shapes and sizes. Each bin had a label such as jewelry, cash, and there was a large trash can labeled food. The many soldiers in the room arose from their chairs and began to place their personal belongings into the small bins on the edge of the room. As they deposited their items they all walked in a single file line through a door that read _"training area"._ The training area was a large facility that held equipment for weightlifting and calisthenics. The soldiers were organized into small groups of five people. And were sent out into other smaller rooms. There, Buck was sitting in the middle of one of the evenly divided groups. He wore a tan shirt and trousers, he also had on some black boots. As the Colonel spoke further on what their training entailed Buck only sat and wondered what his future held for him. Behind him was a smaller man, he had black hair and brown eyes. He was mostly pale-skinned but had a distinctive burn across his face. He also had a very unusual sharp grin that could be best described as devious and disturbing. He wore the same clothes as Buck but he clearly was of a completely different background. He reached forward towards Buck with his hand and Buck could only stare as he watched the man's hand raise towards him a small magazine clip. He slowly handed the mag to Buck and then Tremblay saw it. He walked towards the two and screamed.

"What is that in your hand. WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND!" The man behind buck stood up and said.

"It's a small caliber magazine, I found it on the ground sir."

"Bullshit." Replied Tremblay. "This isn't a firing range so where did you find this magazine, Porter!?" As the man stood up Buck noticed that he did indeed have the name of Porter sewn across his chest. Porter did not speak for a few seconds but instead looked down at Buck.

"And what did you have to do with this… Cote? I expected better from you, you are supposed to be a Squad Captain right?" Buck looked at the two with an astonished expression on his face, with his attention directed towards Tremblay he spoke.

"I had nothing to do with this, I don't even know who this man is… sir!" Tremblay looked at the two before chuckling quietly.

"I have to say I've had trainees who couldn't make it very far through training without slipping up, but this has got to be a record, we haven't even made it through an hour of the course yet. I don't have time to deal with this right now I want you to report to detention until I get this sorted out." The entire group was staring at the men.

"But Colonel!" Spoke Buck. Tremblay looked at Buck dead in the eyes and said.

"Not right now Cote… I would watch your mouth because you may have already won a trip out of here…"

"But… But... Yes, sir." Replied Buck. Tremblay then looked agitated and shouted.

"What are you waiting for! Get your arses to detention or I'll have you taken there!" Buck and Porter then quickly began to leave the room and walk down a hall that led to a small room. The door to the room was reinforced and had small metallic bars protecting the glass. There were two armed guards outside the doors and they looked at the two soldiers in confusion. An officer walked towards the group and said.

"Tremblay sent me, these men are to be put in temporary detention until we sort out a security breach."

"Yes, sir!" Replied one of the soldiers. They then opened the doors to the chamber and Porter and Buck walked in they sat down on an old wooden bench. The room was completely empty, nothing but a door and a bench. There wasn't even paint on the walls. The large door shut tight. Buck looked at Porter with a large scowl and said.

"What the Fuck was that! Why is it that you bring in contraband and I'm getting punished."

"Don't be mad at me mate. Do I look like the Colonel to you?" Said Porter.

"I cannot believe this is happening!" Said Buck.

"But I do need to say something to you. I couldn't do it out there not with all those people around…" Replied Porter, Buck looked at Porter with an even worse of a death stare.

"You had something to tell me? Ha… ha… I have something to tell you and it is very important so you better listen up. That out there is my life and If you try to mess up my chances of making J.T.F.T. you will become my enemy, and trust me you wouldn't want to be that. I don't know you and I don't want to know you." Asserted Buck. Porter chuckled and then spoke.

"Don't worry Cote, you have nothing to worry about you are not in trouble and you will make it through training. Well… you will have just as much of a chance as before. What I really need to know is if you have the whereabouts for one of your teammates." Buck looked bewildered and replied to Porter.

"How the hell would you know that I am not facing repercussions for this?" Porter's smile turned into a frown.

"My sources are private, Captain. Just answer my questions and there will be no problems." Buck didn't know why but he believed that Porter was telling the truth.

"Alright, Porter... what do you need to know?" Said Buck.

"I've been looking for one of your teammates, where is Lieutenant Tina Tsang?"

"Who…?" Replied Buck in a confused tone. Porter looked unamused by Buck's response and spoke in an annoyed manner.

"Perhaps I misspoke… where is Frost?!"

"I don't know who you are talking about!" Said Buck. Porter sat back on the bench.

"That's very disappointing, I pictured a man of your skill would take some time to learn his squad. Although it may take longer than expected I will find her. Well, when you do meet Tsang, I would steer clear of her, I wouldn't want you to get hurt. We have another thirty seconds before an officer comes through that door and sends us back to training. Don't tell anyone about this conversation we had here. Or we will have problems." Said Porter.

"How did you... Know who was in my squad… And all these things about Tremblay… who are you really…?" Said Buck

"Porter is all you need to know for now. But don't get used to me I won't be here long." Replied Porter. As soon as he finished his statement an officer walked through the door into the room. His face was mundane almost to a forced extent.

"Tremblay decided to let you off easy without citing you. Consider yourself lucky, now get your arses back to the group." He said. As the two men returned to the group Buck thought to himself.

"Porter is doing something very bad here and I need to find out what." The two men then found the room they were in before but none of the other trainees were there. Tremblay suddenly walked into the room and shouted at the men.

"Consider yourselves lucky, but you missed the team orientation. Cote, you are with squad seven and Porter you are with squad three. Your squads are waiting for you now get over there!" Porter and Buck then walked to separate offshoot rooms to greet their squads. Porter walked through a door that had a convenient _"3"_ above it and Buck walked through a room that had a _"7"_ placed above it. As Buck entered the room he noticed the small squad within. It was very small, being just him and three other people. Buck then awkwardly looked at the other soldiers before saying.

"Uh… Sorry about that back there, there was just some sort of misunderstanding. I'm Sebastian Cote. As most of you probably know by now." The man closest to Buck then spoke.

"I'm Second Lieutenant Mathias Landry. Tremblay says that you are our squad captain?" Buck looked even more confused than before and said.

"Really, he said that?"

"Yeah, and he said we would begin training in a matter of minutes we just needed to regroup with our captain. Oh and I'm Officer Cadet Yuri Poulin" Said a different man in the back. Buck looked over to the last member of the group. It was an attractive young woman with short black hair and brown eyes. She also had pale skin with a slim figure.

"Hello… Captain. I am Lieutenant Tina Tsang." Said the woman. Buck's face immediately lost its color and he realized that he was now in danger. She reached her hand out for a handshake and Buck nervously shook her hand.

"Well… it's good to see who I will be working with… What are we tackling first?" Asked Buck.

"We have a long day of training ahead of us. They say these next few weeks are the hardest part as they are trying to weed out the weak of mind." Said Mathias.

"Well, I have no doubt in my mind that we can do it." Said Frost. "We just need to stick together."Buck did not fear the training ahead of him, he only wondered what porter was going to do now that Frost was working with him.

Buck did not fear the training ahead of him, he only wondered what porter was going to do now that Frost was working with him.

* * *

 **March 28, 2016,**

 **Location Unknown,**

 **22:00**

Buck laid in an old wooden cot, and slowly arose from it. He stood up and began to crack his back as the bed was not great for his comfort, The tent he was in was very small and only contained the previously spoken of cot a small wood burning stove, a tied up sack of food, His rifle, and all the ammo that three ammo crates could hold. The ground was snowy and there was almost no insulation in the tent. Buck walked through the tent flaps and approached a small clearing just outside of his tent. There seemed to be nothing around except for the snowy mountains in a couple different directions. Three other smaller tents that appeared to surround him, and a small rundown house in the far off distance. Buck walked along a small dirt path that led to a small hill. The hill was very easy to scale but also offered a great overlook for his surroundings. Buck, however, did not look at anything except for the small house in the distance. Buck stared at the house looking for weak points or anywhere to looked like a flaw. The house although rundown was boarded up tight and looked relatively stable. Buck then sat down on the snowy ground and gazed over the other parts of the wilderness. Suddenly beside Buck approached Frost. She was wearing a thick woolen jacket and pants that covered most of her body. Only exposing her head which was covered with a ski cap and her hands which were gloved. Her jacket had two small ear flaps that covered both sides of her head up to her temples. She then sat down beside Buck.

"You can't sleep either?" She said. Buck relaxed and slowed his breathing before speaking.

"I would be honestly surprised if anyone could fall asleep on those old cots." Buck said in a joking manner.

"Ha ha…" Frost giggled.

"Yeah, I am surprised that Mathias and Yuri can get to sleep on one of those… Well, what are you looking at." Buck was back to staring at the house on the outskirts of the snow and Ice.

"Just the raid house, I have a bad feeling about this place…"

"You just need to relax Cote, Tremblay knows what he is doing and this Raid is going to go off without a hitch. Besides the Raid isn't for a few more days, so you should just focus on… something else." Buck enjoyed the statement from Frost and used it to relax a little bit, Ever Since he had spoken to Porter he had been on edge.

"Do you have any idea on the whereabouts of squad three?" Asked Buck.

"Why? You want to know how that asshole is doing, I don't know why you aren't mad for what Porter did to you, he jeopardizes your chances of joining the task force." Responded Frost in a more aggravated tone.

"I am… It's just more complicated than it seems." Said Buck. Frost was calmed from Bucks statement and spoke again.

"Sorry I just am confused is all. Clearly, there is something else to that, and I need to understand that."

"That's ok Tsang, I get it, sometimes things are overly complicated." Said Buck. Frost smiled at the response and spoke again.

"Well anyways I don't know where squad three is or if we will see them again anytime soon."

"Alright I was just curious is all."

"So Captain, you haven't said much to anyone since we began training, where are you from?" Asked Frost.

"Montreal, born and raised." Said Buck.

"And you?" Asked Buck.

"Vancouver. It really was a great place to grow up." Said Frost.

"Vancouver huh… My father used to travel there for business. He was a contractor and had lots of Projects for the wealthy folks over there." Said Buck.

"You don't say huh... My father lived and still, lives in Japan but was born in China. He was a very wealthy businessman… although he did not want me to live in Japan, something about Tokyo made him think it really wasn't the best place for me. So my mother and I moved to Vancouver and my father came to see us every other month." Said Frost.

"Really what kind of business?" Asked Buck.

"He owned two Banks there, and had more work to do than I could imagine." Replied Frost.

"That's pretty interesting, my father was pretty impressed by my decision to join the military, he saw it as a sign that I truly was a man when I told him. I was only Seventeen then." Said Buck.

"My father wasn't so supportive... I mean he is now, but when I told him at first he said that I couldn't do it because I could get hurt, and he wouldn't forgive himself. But eventually, after enough persuasion, he reluctantly agreed to let me pursue my dreams. He wanted me to go to get a good education and become a business owner like him, but I always felt that I had a greater purpose in life." Said Frost

"That's very noble." Said Buck. Frost smirked at the compliment.

"Thanks, captain, even with my passion for freedom I actually still find some time, and have a little bit of a talent for designing contraptions." Said Frost.

"Contraptions huh. Like what?" Said Buck.

"Nothing really, I just won a few competitions a few years back for some hunting mechanisms. Nothing that I was really too proud of. I never really liked how inhumane they were."

"What were they. Snares?" Asked Buck.

"Ha ha… Something like that." Said Frost.

"Fair enough I suppose." Responded Buck.

The two of them then sat in the cold snowfall for a few more minutes simply admiring the untouched landscape around them before returning to their tents.


	13. Hour of Need

**CHAPTER 13: HOUR OF NEED**

 **March 30,2015**

 **Location Unknown**

 **14:00**

The four operators of squad 7 charged down the long corridor. At the end were two instructors dressed as terrorists. Buck gave the hand signals for Yuri and Mathias to lay down covering fire while Buck and Frost moved to flank. On the count of three, the two men started to pour bullets down range. Buck and Frost then moved around through an adjacent corner and around the gunfight, they found themselves in a small doorway with a clear sight on the two terrorists. Buck and Frost then began to light up the instructors and they fell to the ground.

"Room Clear!" Yelled Mathias. The four soldiers then approached a small doorway and Buck spoke to his squad.

"Behind this door is the hostage, our intel informs us that there is one hostile also in the room so we need to be careful. Frost, I know you can do this, take the shot on the terrorist grappling the hostage. Make it fast and clean and we can get out of here!" The rest of the group nodded in approval and Mathias laid the breaching charge on the door. As the group backed away Mathias yelled.

"Three… Two…. One… Fire in the hole!" The door then exploded into a million splinters and the room shook. Once the dust settled it was seen that an instructor had the hostage dummy held in front of him with a pistol to his head.

"Take another step forward and I blow his brains out!" Shouted the instructor. Yuri then attempted to negotiate with the terrorist.

"Just set the man down and there doesn't have to be another shot fired!"

"Shut up! I know you are only trying to tell me what I want to hear, If I let him go you will kill me!" Shouted the terrorist.

"Follow our orders or we will fire!" Shouted Yuri.

"That's it, he's a dead man!" Shouted the terrorist. Frost had her rifle aimed at the terrorist's head but was unfortunately greeted by the terrorist jerking the hostage in front of her crosshairs. Frost pulled the trigger and hit the hostage on the side of the head.

"Hostage is down, end of simulation." said the instructor. Everyone laid their guns on the ground and Mathias shouted.

"What the hell Tsang, I thought you were supposed to be the crack shot of squad seven and you do this!"

"It's not my fault, maybe if Yuri would stop trying to negotiate with the terrorist I could have taken a clean shot, but you kept him guessing." Said Frost

"Don't even try to blame me for this, you are the one who killed the hostage right?!" Said, Yuri. The three soldiers were plunged into an argument until Buck whistled with his fingers and brought the room to silence.

"Everyone needs to stop talking. This was a team effort, this is not Tsang's fault or Yuri's, this is on all of us, We are not one man we are a team, we win as a team and lose as a team! Got it!" Said Buck.

"Yes, sir..." Replied the rest of the group.

"Now I need everyone to relax and just try to reflect so that this doesn't happen again, we will be using live rounds tomorrow and I don't want any confusion." He then walked away from the group towards a small window and peered out, he could see Tremblay speaking to a news reporter on the ground. Buck then rubbed his forehead and breathed deeply. Frost suddenly approached from behind and said.

"Hey… thanks for having my back, It's good to know that you are there for me."

"It's no trouble, I'm not going to let them corner you for something that wasn't only on you." Said Buck.

"I won't forget it Captain." Frost then walked away. Buck then turned around and saw his squad talking to another group of soldiers. Buck thought nothing of it until he saw one of the men. Porter. The man then turned his head and saw Buck and began to walk towards him.

"Cote... It's been a while. I hope you haven't forgotten me." Buck had a deadly scowl on his face.

"Never Porter, what do you want?" Said Buck.

"What's with the hostility buddy, I just wanted to say hello. I mean we are working together for the Live Raid tomorrow." Responded Porter.

"What? You. No." Said Buck. Buck then turned and walked past Porter towards to the edge of the room. At that moment Tremblay walked into the room.

"Tremblay you can't be serious. You're putting us with squad three. That is a terrible idea!" Said Buck.

"Last time I checked you are not the one calling the shots around here Cote. So I would watch your tongue or I could have you removed from the operation altogether." Rebutted Tremblay.

"Really… After what happened between Porter and me you still are going through with this. Why don't you explain your reasoning." Buck said in a suspicious tone.

"I don't need to explain anything Captain. Just get the objective done, and there won't be any problems. Said Tremblay. The lieutenant then walked away and left Porter alone with Buck. Porter reached out his hand for a handshake with a big grin on his face before speaking.

"Good luck tomorrow Captain." Buck closed the gap in between him and Porter. He no longer felt any fear.

"Listen here Porter or whoever you are. You may have Tremblay and everyone else on your side, but I know just what your real intentions are. And I don't fear you, If you try anything tomorrow I will not hesitate to kill you." Porter locked eyes with Buck. his grin vanished and revealed a solid scowl. and whispered.

"The feeling is mutual Captain. Now shake my hand and walk away before anything gets out of control." Buck reluctantly shook Porter's hand and Porter's scowl turned into a fake grin.

"Good day Captain, let's move out squad three." Said Porter. Squad 3 then walked out of the room and Buck gave each member a stare down.

"Anything wrong Captain?" asked Mathias. Buck looked at Mathias, he did not want to scare his squad and knew that Tremblay was not to be trusted so he simply said.

"Nothing's wrong, Stay Frosty I want your heads on a swivel tomorrow.

* * *

 **March 31, 2015**

 **Somewhere near the Coast of Greenland**

 **04:00**

As the team approached the house they all geared up their weapons. Fully automatic assault rifles lined the sides of the chopper. They all were standard issue rifles. But Buck knew that this operation was going to be violent so he decided to take a risk. He stole a small Skeleton Key under barrel shotgun from the armory and smuggled it onto the chopper. If all hell breaks loose maybe the shotgun would give him an edge over Porter. Although he had already learned once what the penalty for contraband was he needed to keep his team safe. Frost was sitting right beside Buck on the chopper and whispered into his ear.

"I know that you think nothing of it. But It doesn't mean I don't. I just want to thank you for being a great friend these past few weeks even when the team started taking sides. So I want you to know that I have your back… always.

"Thank you, Tsang... it means a lot." Frost noticed the distraught look on Buck's face and the shaky tone of Buck's voice and spoke in a concerned tone.

"Listen... What's wrong Captain? I can tell that something has been rattling you for a while." Frost said. Buck looked and saw Tremblay making eye contact with him from across the chopper he had a hand on the trigger of his pistol and was tapping the side of the barrel with his index finger.

"Nothing is wrong, just stay safe out there." Said Buck, The chopper approached the LZ and everyone grabbed their weapons, they all began to load their assault Rifles with magazines and promptly stood up. They grabbed onto the handles on the aisle of the chopper and waited for the hatch to open. The chopper hatch descended and revealed the dark and snowy terrain around them that was only lit by the moonlight. The small light by the chopper door was red and quickly changed to Green. As Squad 7 moved out into the snow. A few meters away was another chopper and being unloaded was none other than Squad 3. And they also moved out into the snow. They were assaulting the very same rundown building that Buck was staring at many days ago. The two squad's moved to the front door of the building and began exchanging hand signals before they agreed on their plan. A quick breach and clear of the bottom floor and then they would decide what to do next. The building was tall but not wide and was very old and rundown from the outside. The inside, however, would likely be a different story. They needed to eliminate multiple terrorist dummies and escort a hostage to safety. Yuri took the small battering ram from the snow and approached the front door. Buck gave a three, two, one, countdown with his fingers and Yuri burst open the door. Squad 7 then pushed into the room and encountered two terrorist dummies at the end of the hall, Frost and Buck dispatched them with ease. They then jogged towards a small door at near the end of the hall.

"This is where Porter said we would regroup with squad three so let's get in there. As Buck grabbed the door handle he heard a loud breach and gunshots. He then opened the door to see the room. There was a large hole in the wall and multiple dummies torn to shreds on the ground. Porter then pulled out a small map and laid it on a small wooden table in the center of the room. The entire floor appeared to be made a thin wooden sheet material. There was almost no definition to the building except for some small sandbag nests and bookshelves. Porter looked at the map and used his finger to draw lines around the structure.

"We should split up and search the house, we have limited time and we have enough numbers here. I say that squad three takes the rest of this floor and squad seven clears upstairs. Tsang and I will check downstairs. According to this diagram, there is only one small hallway down there and shouldn't take more than two people to clear out." Said Porter.

"You and Tsang, I think that I should go with you" Quickly responded Buck.

"Relax Cote there shouldn't be any trouble and we have our comms if we need backup." Said Frost.

"Yeah Captain, you need to trust more in your team." Said Porter.

"I do, I just think that two people are stretching you too thin." Said Buck

"Well, regardless the rest of your squad needs you up on the second floor Cote." Said Porter

"I agree with the Captain. We are stretching our numbers to thin here. How about Cote and Yuri go with Squad three and I go with Tsang and Porter?" Said Mathias. Although Buck was far from confident he felt better with this plan.

"Fine... let's do that then, we can hit the top floor with the rest of the team." Said Buck.

"Alright we will go will your plan Captain if it makes you feel better." Said Porter. Buck looked at Frost in the eyes and said.

"Be careful down there, and stay frosty, that's an order."

"I will. There is no need to worry Cote." Responded Frost in an uneasy tone. The two groups then split up and proceeded to push their objectives. As the team began to move to the opposite side of the hallway buck knew what was about to go down, after a few minutes had passed with squad three he then slipped and approached the staircase that would lead downstairs. He followed the stairs to the bottom floor and was greeted with a large bookshelf tipped over on its side blocking the doorway. Buck then sprinted towards it and tried to push it out of the way. The Bookshelf was so tightly jammed that he would need to find another way around. He carefully tuned his comms and started to shout. "Tsang, Porter, Mathias, Where are you!?" He was greeted only with silence. Buck knew that even the few moments he waited would mean the difference between life and death. He charged upstairs and went into one of the rooms on the first floor. The room was directly above the basement and he knew that if he could break through he could get down there. He was not carrying any sort of breaching tools and only had one option, luckily the floor was made of weak and flimsy materials. He took the skeleton key out of his pocket and began to attach it to his assault rifle. He tightened the lever and cocked it back. He then pointed the shotgun at the ground and began to fire. It made massive holes through the floor and eventually, the hole was nearly big enough to slip his waist through. The floor was almost sagging under Bucks weight.

"Whats going on!? Where are you, Captain!?" Shouted the rest of the squad through the mic.

"Buck had to stop to reload his skeleton key. He dropped the empty mag onto the ground and reached for a new one. As soon as he loaded it he shot once more into the ground and then the floor exploded in a flurry of splinters as Buck fell nearly 10 feet and hit the ground hard. He fell onto his back but quickly regained his bearing and began to run down the hallway towards where the small group went. He then stopped when he saw a small blood trail on the ground. Buck began to slowly follow it until he reached a small closet on the side of the hall. In the closet was Mathias, he was covered in blood and had a large gash in his waist. It was bleeding profusely.

"Captain is that you?" Weakly spoke Mathias.

"Yes, it's me. How…? What…?" Said Buck.

"You were right Captain, Porter wasn't a normal man, he is insane. He… He took Tsang, they went that way. I tried to stop him. I really did he just lit me up and left me here when I got in his way."

"It's ok Mathias, just rest, I'll get you out of here." Said Buck. Buck then began to lift Mathias off the ground and heard a loud rip. His wound tore and became much larger than before as blood began to spill at an alarming rate.

"I'm… Gone… Captian. Save Tsang… You can still save her…" Said Mathias even weaker than before.

"NO! You aren't leaving... " Said, Buck. Mathias then slowly released the last of his oxygen from his lungs and laid on the ground cold. Buck used his fingers and closed Mathias's eyes and stood up. Buck then began to spring down the hall. There was another blood trail although not nearly as large as Mathias's. Buck continued to follow it until he reached where the end of the hall should have been. There was a large hole in the wall likely caused by a breaching charge, and it revealed the snowy terrain of the outside. There was a large slope that had footprints and a blood trail along it. The blood was getting thicker as it progressed. Buck followed the trail until he started to hear the sound of chopper propellers. Buck was confused as transport was not supposed to be back yet, Buck continued on anyways. He followed the trail around the corner of the structure and saw the source of the noise. He saw it a mere 50 meters away, A large Helo. Before buck could say a word. A large caliber rifle round flew through the air and hit him in the shoulder. It sent him into the snow. Buck looked up and saw four men with assault rifles approach him. They had long dark trench coats, and White Masks on. They did not kill Buck, but instead simply stood over him with guns pointed. Buck could see the chopper's passenger bay and saw Frost she was unconscious and had a large bandage over her thigh. It was soaked in blood but had multiple medics giving her attention. Buck reached for his pistol on his hip but had his hand stomped on. It was Porter.

"It's disappointing Captain, To be so close yet so far. You can see her from here but you can't do anything to save her. She really cared about you and I know you cared about her too. But I'm afraid you will never see her again." Porter reached for his radio on his chest and began to speak.

"The package is secure York… Copy that." Porter looked at his men and said.

"Let's move out boys wouldn't want to keep the daggers waiting." He then looked at Buck and said.

"I will not kill you Captain because that would be too easy for you. But I will tell you this. Remember when you asked for my name, It's James Porter. But you will probably remember me from a different name, later down the road." Porter then took his shotgun and hit Buck with the stalk knocking him out.

 **15 minutes later**

Buck opened his eyes to see that he was in the same place he had gone unconscious. There was no chopper, no Porter, and no Frost, Minus the blood trails, it looked as if no one had ever been there. Buck arose from off the ground and felt a sharp pain. He had been bleeding and felt his bullet wound on his shoulder. He then continued to walk around the corner of the building and saw the rest of the team. They were all at the entrance of the building and were speaking to Military Police officers. Yuri was speaking to one officer and said.

"And then the captain left us suddenly… Hey, there he is now!" Yuri pointed at Buck and the MP along with two other officers began to walk towards him with their weapons drawn.

"Put the weapon on the ground." The officer spoke. But Buck was not focusing on the officer he instead was staring at Tremblay, Tremblay was being handcuffed and armed officers were walking him into the back of a helicopter. Buck did not hear the words spoken by the officers but he felt the gun slip out of his hands and the handcuffs slip over his wrists. He was being escorted to the same chopper with Tremblay. The whole time Buck only thought about one thing. Frost trusted him to protect her, and he failed her. He was sat down in the chopper and was facing Tremblay who was sitting across from him. Tremblay had a look of fear in his eyes. But Buck had forgotten the feeling of fear. Buck finally came back to himself. And asked.

Why am I here? I didn't do anything…" The MP did not reply. The trip was long but Buck didn't fall asleep, he had too much on his mind.

* * *

 **February 16, 2016**

 **CF Service Prison and Detention Barracks, CFB Edmonton**

 **1400**

Six walked down a long hallway that had prison cells on both sides. They lined the walls and stretched to the roof. There were two armed guards protecting her and walking her to a cell. The cells on both sides had men, wearing orange prison garments, with various rips and tears. The men were grizzled and were mostly covered in tattoos. They were howling and giving out cat calls to Six and only stopped when one of the guards banged his baton against the iron gates and shouted.

"SHUT UP!" This, however, would only cause temporary silence as it would be interrupted shortly by the continuing of noise. None of this stopped Six, she kept striding along and ignored the Prisoners until she reached the far edge of the hall. There was a large metallic door that read _"SOLITARY CONFINEMENT"_ Above in bold letters. One of the guards opened the door and the other guard walked in with his gun drawn. Six walked into the room and saw large iron bars kept the prisoner isolated.

"It's been awhile since you had a visitor. But I hope you can accommodate me." Said Six. There was no response. Six then continued.

"You have spent almost a full year behind bars. But That isn't something to be excited about is it, after all, you still have around nineteen more years with good behavior. That doesn't sound good." There was still no response.

"How would getting out of here today sound… Captain." Buck finally stopped looking at the floor and looked up at Six.

"It's my fault, that she is gone… They took her, but I didn't kill him." Said Buck.

"I know who's fault it is. And I know it isn't yours, Luckily I believe your story and I have the assets to free you, but there is something I need from you in exchange, a simple agreement." Said Six.

"What kind of agreement?" Asked Buck.

"You have a set of skills that not many men do. That's why they put you here in solitary rather than just with the other common rabble. And I need your help to fight the men who took Tsang. We are currently looking into an operation that could lead to the rescue of your friend." Responded Six.

"I will do anything to save her. I will join you… But then again who are you?" Questioned Buck

"We are Rainbow Six. I will have you transported to Hereford immediately, you no longer will be training for Joint Task Force Two. You are joining an order far greater… Oh and Captain, I understand your loss. Some of the other task force members say that you and Frost were close. I am quite sorry."

"Yeah, so am I." Said Buck.


	14. Turning the Tables

**CHAPTER 14: TURNING THE TABLES**

 **February 19, 2016**

 **Redmond Oregon 14:00**

The group of warriors stood together speaking to each other. All of the daggers were talking except for Rook. Who was sitting on his bed removing and applying bandages to his bullet wounds, And Bandit who was sitting in a chair at the edge of the room cleaning his MP7. Rook took one bandage off of his leg and saw the wound. It was covered in blood and pus and was most likely infected. Took the bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide and began to gently pour it onto his wound.

"SHIT!" he shouted when he felt the sting of the chemical, he then reapplied his bandage and began to check out his other wounds.

"What's wrong Rook can't handle a little gunshot wound. Joked Kapkan.

"This stuff burns like a motherfucker!" Exclaimed Rook.

"Just get over it, you big Pussy." Responded Smoke.

"You will need a little bit of this stuff yourself. If you don't shut your Goddamn mouth." Said Rook.

"We are only joking around, take it easy big guy." Said Kapkan. The men were about to continue Bickering until they were silenced by the approach of York.

"Gentlemen. You are gaining a new member of the Black Daggers today, We want you to be there. And also some recognition is deserved for Smoke who acquired this new member. Excellent Job." Said York.

"I knew you could do something right you ugly bastard." Said Kapkan.

"Ha ha. The same goes here." Said, Bandit."

"Watch your mouths why don't you. But thanks anyways." Said Smoke in a mundane tone. Rook thought about this new member and who it might be. He always wondered if the other members of the Black Daggers felt the same way he did as a Recruit. Doc was already fitting in as a killer but Rook was always a little Reluctant. A little Hesitant when it came to pulling the trigger. He also thought of how he had only just barely survived the attack at Heathrow. Not because he feared death but because he simply wondered if the money was really worth it.

"Let's go, Julien." Said Doc. Rook looked up to see that the room had already emptied of everyone except for Rook and Doc.

"Sorry, yes let's move." Said Rook, as he began to stand up and walk towards the exit.

As the men pushed to the entryway downstairs, Rook walked alongside Smoke and proceeded to question him.

"So where did you find this person?" Asked Rook.

"An excellent question, I'm glad you asked. This wasn't any sort of easy recruiting. This was sort of like a hunt." Said Smoke.

"I don't understand." Said Rook.

"This person came from Canadian special forces and wasn't… A volunteer to join our brotherhood. She needed some extra persuasion." Replied Smoke.

"Persuasion…? Cautiously questioned Rook.

"Torture… Waterboarding… Electric shocks… You name it, but her will was something else. Stronger than any person I've ever seen. I would know, I oversaw all Psychological Rerouting for the past three years. Her body was close to breaking but her mind wasn't. And we didn't want to lose her so we tried… Something else. Psychoactive Drugs, Powerful chemicals that could alter even the strongest of minds. It's truly beautiful." Rook couldn't believe what he heard, he knew that the brotherhood had done heinous acts, but to force someone's psychology to change, it was unnerving.

"Her?" Asked Rook.

"Oh yes, It's a woman. But don't get any ideas York has made it clear that we will keep our hands off." Rook wasn't thinking of anything of that sort, he only questioned the brotherhood's reasoning for acquiring this female member. The soldiers approached the main entryway and Rook was about to walk through the door that would lead to the meeting hall when he was stopped by Kapkan.

"We are not meeting there brother, we have an initiation to go through first." Kapkan pointed his finger towards the showers where Rook and Doc had done their initiation, and Rook walked to it. Rook was greeted to see all the Black daggers lining the walls, with York standing at the opposite end of the room, his notorious Black dagger in hand, And the new member. She was leaning against the tiled wall. She was meticulously loading shells into her shotgun. All the while there was an empty chair seated under the middle shower. York smiled at the sight of the daggers entering the room. Clearly, something serious was about to happen. York slowly strolled towards the group while tapping his knife against his thigh.

"I'm so glad to see everyone here. But today we are welcoming a new member to our order. A soldier who will uphold all of the tenets of the brotherhood and will help bring an end to the corrupt rulers of the west. Welcome formerly named Tina Tsang, For now on she will be known as Frost. Because she is about to prove that she is as unforgiving as the Ice and Snow of her homeland. Bandit carefully watched York's actions.

"Where is the sacrifice for the initiation? Do we need to collect one?" Asked Kapkan. York smirked.

"No my brothers we do not, for our sacrifice has been here all along." Bandit reached for his MP7 on his hip but was it was too late. His hand was drilled into the wall by York's blade and was pinned. Blood dripped from his palm. He reached with his other hand but was met by York grabbing his arm and twisting it back until there were loud cracks of his bone.

"AHHH!" Bandit cried as his arm shattered. York gripped Bandit's jaw and forced his head upwards to make eye contact.

"You thought that you were invisible, didn't you… Well, you are far from it. Traitor." Said York

"What! Dominic… No…" Said Smoke in an astonished Tone.

"Do you men want to know why you nearly perished at Heathrow. It was not because of me or Váli. It was because of the man. Bandit… And to think we called you Brother. He had been feeding information to Rainbow Six for the past few months. Well if you live for those animals then you will die like an animal."

"You are so wrong… Your motives are not noble… you are bloodthirsty murderers, who follow a jealous power hungry leader… He has fooled all of you." Spoke Bandit. York punched Bandit in the head knocking his head back and continued to punch until Bandit was unconscious.

"HE INVITES YOU INTO HIS INNER CIRCLE! AND YOU BETRAY HIM LIKE THIS! YOU ARE NOT A MAN! YOU ARE A COWARD!" Screamed York. He then pulled the knife out of Bandits hand and Bandit's body dropped to the ground. The rest of the daggers were speechless.

"Put him in that chair, I want his hands bound and his chest exposed. This one is for vengeance." Whispered York as he walked out of the room. Smoke and Kapkan then proceeded to do just as they were commanded tying bandit to a chair. Although his hand was bleeding, they didn't dare touch it and they didn't say a single word. York returned to the room, he had cleaned the blood off of his face and brought the same dagger that was polished. He reached the blade handle out to Frost and said.

"This is your time to prove yourself. Make it count." Frost grabbed the blade. She felt the coldness of the steel edge and the grip along the handle. She felt intense pains in her head that seemed to never stop.

"Kill him…?" She whispered.

"Yes kill him. Do it." York spoke in an impatient tone. Frost felt her mind conflicting with itself she didn't know what to do. But it seemed that her body was almost thinking for itself. Her hand began to move the blade into a striking position of Bandit's chest. He was still out cold. Her arm began to shake, it was a fight of conscious against instinct. No matter how hard she tried she felt that she needed to do this, although she could not understand why. Her arm stiffened and she took a deep breath. She stuck her knife deep into bandits chest and proceeded to pull it back out. As his last breaths left him she dropped the knife on the ground. She looked at her hands and the blood on it. She felt a shock flow through her body. Memories of her torture the pain was intense. But her mind forced her to accept it. She stood and picked up the blade handing it to York.

"Another challenger meets their fate." She said. York smiled deeply to the response.

"Yes… You are the soldier we need. Welcome to the brotherhood. Frost." York said. He then turned to the rest of the daggers.

"You know what to do. Clean this mess up and begin training, take his body out to the boneyard. And show Frost the ropes to our fighting strategies. Trust me, she will be a fast learner." The daggers looked at Frost and saw the face of a killer. She had a tiresome look, but she did not have a look of regret in any way, shape or form.

* * *

 **February 25, 2016**

 **Somewhere outside Røros,**

 **Norway 0400**

The night was frigid and dark, but the intentions that it masks were much colder and even shadier. The ground was covered with undisturbed snow. Flat and motionless, with nothing less than a rabbit's footprint to disturb the peaceful scenery. Three snowmobiles began to tear through the countryside picking up snow and altering the majestic land. The snowmobiles continued on their course until they reached a small cabin, the house was small but cozy, with the outer structure composed of old dark logs, and nothing but a small fire pit to offer change to the snowy landscape. There was a small porch that was splintered and very much aged. On one of the porch beams was a small lantern, dark, and supported by one rusty nail extending out of the side of the wood. The three visitors parked their vehicles along the front of the cabin and turned the engines off. All of them were dressed in fine snow gear. Covering their entire bodies, with additional coverage from gloves and masks. They stepped off the machines and approached the porch.

"Alright Rook, break it out." Eagerly spoke Smoke.

"Let's take a look" Replied Rook.

"Let's get in and get out quick, this place gives me the creeps." Cautioned Frost. Rook was bearing a small duffle bag on his back that he quickly unstrapped and placed on the deck. He unzipped the flap and opened to reveal multiple small metallic bundles tied together. Rook handed one to Frost, another to Smoke and grabbed the last one for himself. They then began to elaborately assemble the components into large firearms. Snapping joints together and cocking back levers. As rook rotated the stock back towards his shoulder he peered over to Frost and Smoke.

"Something about Frost doesn't seem right." Rook thought to himself. Rook did not wonder this because of her drug induced psychology, he had grown far too accustomed to her inhuman state than to be surprised by that. He instead was noticing the exact opposite from her. A sort of human emotion, that she had lacked before. Rook was good at picking up small details like that but he never assumed anything of it. Besides he had bigger fish to fry.

"Ready to go." Smoke whispered as he loaded the mag into his FMG-9 after the entire crew had attached suppressors to their weapons.

"Let's do this." Rook said Confidently. The three soldiers approached the front door of the cabin and Rook slowly pulled on the handle to the screen door. It opened without a hitch. Behind the door was different it was a large metal door, with a handle that had an attached padlock.

"Frost you do your thing." Said Smoke. Frost then walked to the door and quietly dropped to a knee. She pulled out a small case, not much bigger than a cell phone and unlatched it carefully, inside the case was a small lockpick. She pulled the tool out and began to tamper with the padlock on the door. The group wanted to remain silent because picking the lock was a better solution than breaking the door down. Within seconds there was a loud click in the lock and frost packed up her gear. Rook then approached the door and pushed, he found that it opened with ease. Inside the cabin was much like the outside. Tattered wood and splinters. A few windows that were completely covered with frost were scattered around the room. The entryway was a small dining area. There was a small table with only two chairs, with multiple dirty plates that lined the table. There was a small counter and sink at the opposite end of the room, adjacent to an old refrigerator.

"Let's split and find it." Whispered Smoke. The daggers then split up and searched different areas of the cabin. Frost walked towards the kitchen area and began to look through the cabinets, rifling through pots and pans as silent as possible. At the same time, she was examining the room around her. The molded wood and splinters made the room appear much older than it likely was. The torn wallpaper made it appear that no one had been there for a while. She continued searching and didn't stop until she saw the fridge. On the door were multiple small photos attached with magnets. She walked towards them and looked at all the pictures. One picture was a young man, he was dressed in an army uniform smiling towards the camera. The next photo was of the same man, although slightly older with a young woman, They appeared to be on a date and were romantically posing in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris. These made Frost feel odd, but it was the last photo, that sent chills down her spine. It was a picture of a small boy standing with the man and the woman. They were smiling while standing beside a small snowman. The photo was taken in front of the cabin they were in. Frost took a step back and lost her breath. She felt disoriented and felt a sharp pain bolt through her head. She saw flashes and her voices but the next second it was gone. Rook saw what was happening and started to walk towards Frost but was cut off by Smoke. He put his hand on Rook's chest and said.

"Don't…" Rook then slowly stepped back and turned around. He saw a small hallway leading to a corridor. Rook walked down the path and turned the corridor. At the end of the hall was a small door. He continued his trek and put his hand on the door knob. The handle was warm. Rook was highly confused and gently cracked the door open. He took one step in and felt the ground vibrate as the planks shifted and creaked under his weight. Although he was very loud, he continued to step to the opposite side of the room where there was a small strongbox. As he reached the box he was stopped by the sound of a shotgun pump. Rook turned his body to the side to see an old man, around 10 feet away. He was short and had long white hair, he wore a thick winter jacket and pants with gloves. His face had a large beard and he had the look of death in his eyes. In his hands was a long pump action shotgun and it was pointed straight at Rook.

"Prepare to meet your maker scumbag." Said the old man. Rooks mind raced he had to think fast.

"Wait! Wait... Let's not be hasty… I'll leave, there doesn't need to be any violence." Quickly retorted Rook.

"You are a trespasser on my property, likely here to steal or loot. Well, guess what you aren't getting off that easy… and besides this isn't the first time I've heard that line spattered from the mouth of a man scared for his life." Replied the man

"You don't know why I am here… I ran out of gas in my snowmachine and just needed some help." Responded Rook

"Hmm… Then why do you have the piece on you?" The man hesitantly questioned.

"I have to protect myself somehow, these are dangerous times, especially in these parts. don't you agree?" Said Rook, Rook saw the man's body language and could tell that he was slowly trusting Rook, but wasn't yet completely confident.

"Why don't we have a chat stranger and discuss your situation then we can decide the next course of action… If you what you say is true then why don't you lay the weapon on the ground and kick it over to me." Said the man.

"How do I know to trust you?" Responded Rook.

"Then you were a fool to show up here." Said the man. Rook smirked and laid down his MP5, and kicked it over to the man's side of the room. Rook knew the man was not going to kill Rook unless provoked so he felt confident in his decision and if push came to shove he had a small P9 holstered in his boot.

"Good, now sit down in the chair behind you." Said the old man. Rook obeyed and sat down in the chair.

"What's your name son?" Said the man.

"Julien." Softly spoke Rook.

"Julien huh…well that is quite something, you have no idea what that name means to me." Said the man in a laughing tone.

"What about you?" Questioned Rook.

"Me… I'm George… but this isn't about me, this is about you." Said the man.

"Well, where are you from Julien." Asked George. Rook was surprised by the sudden barrage of questions but knew that he could walk out of the room without a drop of blood being spilled if he played along.

"Tours… That's in France." Said Rook.

"Yes… I could tell by your accent, I've actually been to France believe it or not… Many years ago." Said, George.

"Really what for?" Asked Rook.

"It was my Wife and I's honeymoon. Those were the good old days… Do you have yourself a girl, Julien." Asked George.

"No, I don't actually." Said Rook.

"Ha! That's surprising. A man with your muscles should have trouble finding yourself being alone. I should know, I looked a lot like you in my younger days… My son did too." Reluctantly said, George.

"You had a son?" Asked Rook.

"Yeah… Used too…" Said, George.

"I'm sorry to hear that." George's spirits rose when he heard those words from Rook, he then gazed down onto Rook's MP5 and frowned. He then looked at Rook with a blank expression and quietly spoke.

"You almost convinced me to let you leave this room. I should know better. You always ask questions, so I'll tell you now before you die. I am George Ragsten. Former U.S. Army ranger and former… husband and father. I played my cards right in the military and got myself a gig with the C.I.A. they said they would put me, my wife, and son up in Norway safe and sound. All we had to do was protect some sort of file called Project Blackwinter. Everything was fine for a while. But that ended when a group much like you and your friends showed up at my house while I was gone in town. Unfortunately, I was not authorized to "inform" my family of Project Blackwinter's existence and the trespassers grew impatient. When I returned from town they were dead. My wife and my son… His name was Julien." Rook quickly knew what was about to happen and slowly reached for the pistol on his boot. He was hesitant however, he still, in the back of his head hoped the situation would not have to end with violence.

"They didn't even end up finding the file. I still never found out who did it. That was many years ago and that was when there was an actual need to hide the file. I know you aren't who you say you are by your weapon, it tells its own story. No amateur would have a suppressor on their gun even if they were smart enough to get themselves an MP5. You aren't some traveler you are a professional. I also saw you and your friends show up from a mile away. You weren't fooling anyone." Rook had his hand on the pistol in his boot for the past 10 seconds and could easily kill George but still was hoping for a solution, anything that could end without bloodshed. Rook was about to attempt to negotiate until he saw Smoke slowly creeping into the room. As soon as George raised his shotgun he dropped it to the ground.

"NO!" Screamed Rook, but it was too late, George's jugular vein was severed by Smoke's knife killing him instantly. Smoke stood there with the blade in his hand as George's body dropped to the ground, Frost was standing the doorway and saw the whole thing go down.

"ROOK YOU FUCKING IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING! SPARING THIS MAN WHILE HE HAD YOU AT GUNPOINT!" Screamed Smoke. He then calmed himself and spoke in a softer tone.

"We both know you could have ended him swiftly without any resistance… We will get the file and get out of here… We will just have to see what York thinks of all this..." Said Smoke. The whole time Frost was speechless. Smoke walked over to the strongbox and opened the lid. Inside was a file. "Project Blackwinter" Just like George said. Smoke grabbed it and put it inside the large duffle bag.

"There is no time to wait. Let's get out of here."


	15. Out of the Frying pan

**CHAPTER 15: OUT OF THE FRYING PAN**

 **February 28, 2016**

 **Redmond, Oregon**

 **1800**

"I am very disappointed by what I see here Rook." Said York.

"It was more complicated than you think." Rebutted Rook.

"Smoke is one of my best men, and I trust his word. You still have yet to prove yourself, Rookie. I don't have to give you a chance but I have seen what you are capable of and I'm not so stupid as to remove you for this one mistake. I haven't forgotten that you still obtained the file. But listen to me very carefully. You need to fall in line, you took an oath and if you can't fulfill the needs of the Brotherhood then we will have problems… Do I make myself clear?" Said York.

"Crystal, Sir." Said Rook.

"Good now make yourself useful, I still need to coordinate with Váli before we pull off our final assault," Said York. Rook saluted before exiting the small room he was in. After all that had occurred at Røros he needed to rest. Rook, however, did not want to put up with the glares from Smoke so he decided to take the high road.

 _"The Watchtower doesn't sound so bad."_ Rook thought to himself. Rook walked to the large staircase that would lead him to the watchtower. After memorizing patrol patterns Rook knew that he would have peace and quiet up there for at least another hour. He climbed the large ladder that led to the catwalk and sat down in one of the small chairs by the railing. As soon as he began to close his eyes he opened them. He was surprised to see Frost climbing the same ladder to the catwalk. She walked towards Rook and sat down in the chair beside him.

"How are you holding up Julien?" Asked Frost. Rook was surprised by the nonprofessional question.

"Are you feeling alright Frost?" Said Rook. Frost frowned at the question and spoke.

"Julien… I need to tell you something… But you must promise to never tell another soul… no one." Rook was far too good at keeping secrets and enjoyed knowing them.

"I promise… what is it." Frost smiled at Rook's response as she pulled a small white canister out of her pocket. She opened the canister to reveal small pills. All of them unmarked, yet organized by days. It looked much like birth control.

"Is this…?" Asked Rook.

"Ha ha… No this isn't birth control, Julien… This is very complicated. Ever since I… can remember I have been taking these pills. No one has been forcing me to I just have had the urge to… Like something in my head has been forcing me to use them. When I take them it feels like I lose all control and it's like the drugs are taking over. I was… curious and went out on my own initiative to find out what this was all about, and discovered some recordings. I was shocked, answer me this one question… Who am I?" Asked Frost

"Who are you?" Hesitantly repeated Rook

"Yes… who am I… Please… don't lie to me." Although Rook was sworn to secrecy by his order he still wanted to tell her. For some reason, Rook cared about Frost and felt that she deserved the truth.

"You are Tina Tsang… You were captured from a Joint Task Force Two training facility and were brought here… They wanted to turn you into a weapon. But they couldn't break you… They tried, but the only way to change you was through psychoactive drugs. Medicine that changes your mind. That is what the pills are. They programmed you to take those pills, and to automatically replenish your body with the psychoactive drugs." Rook saw as Frost began to tear up and cover her mouth.

"My life was a mirage. Programmed by these monsters. To kill for them… I killed innocent people. Like Bandit and so many others. This is all that I thought even before you told me. The drugs I… can't stop taking them. The pain is too extreme if I stop, but I can moderate. I've been taking only half the pills I'm supposed to. And although it results in painful flashes. It gives me some control back. I actually become myself again for a little while. Or at least the person I used to be." Frost couldn't hold back and let some tears stream down her cheeks. She felt broken. Frost opened her eyes when she felt Rook. He had his hand on her cheek and was brushing her hair and tears gently. Frost smiled.

"You may be confused, but my vision has always been clear, You aren't this person… things have happened to you that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. And I want to help you… even if the order says not to." Said Rook compassionately.

"I saw the way you tried to handle the old man at the back in Norway… you aren't like the rest of the order. You aren't the killer they model their soldiers after like Smoke…. I don't know who I am. For the time being at least, but I know one thing that isn't altered by the drugs, One of the few feelings left for me. I can tell that I really like you…" Frost then leaned in and softly kissed Rook on the lips. Rook took his other hand and put it on her neck and began to slowly gently caress her skin. The two continued to kiss quietly for a few seconds until Rook slowly departed their heads.

"I won't let them hurt you again…" Said Rook. Frost frowned slightly.

"Julien… I know you want to help but I have to continue taking the pills… at least for a little longer. If I don't they will know. And it pains me to not take them. But I promise one day. you can finally meet the real me. But for now… we need to get back to the group before the become suspicious. We can't tell anyone what happened here or how we feel towards each other. Just play it cool and we can come back here tomorrow and…" Rook cut off Frost

"It's ok, stay safe…" Rook began to walk towards the ladder but was stopped by Frost yet again.

"Wait." She said. She grabbed Rooks vest and pulled him in for another quick kiss.

"No, get out of here lover boy…" Frost said Jokingly. _"And stay safe. We go to war soon."_ She thought to herself. Rook walked down the hall on the ground floor and continued to walk until he saw Smoke sprinting after him.

"Rook, I'm glad I've found you!" he shouted.

"What is it?" Questioned Rook.

"York has just informed us. We need to head out as soon as possible. Rainbow Six is currently launching an assault on the Yacht at Baffin bay we need to move out and secure it before they show. We only get one shot at this so we must make haste... inform the rest of the daggers. It's time to fight."

"We are pushing forward with operation Black Winter already?" Surprisingly questioned Rook.

"Oh yes indeed, now grab your weapon and get a move on… Oh and also remind Frost to bring her new toy… The 'Welcome Mats' I believe they are called."

"Welcome mat, what's that?" Asked Rook.

"Frost never told you. The main reason we acquired her, besides her fighting abilities, is because she really is quite the designer for traps."

* * *

 **February 29, 2016,**

 **Just outside Baffin Bay,**

 **0600**

A chopper tore through the air.

"Are we ready to go Rainbow." Asked Kirov.

"Yes sir, always ready." Responded Thermite.

"This should be quick and clean we aren't expecting too much resistance, there is most likely a few hostiles on board, we search the ship. Clean up any resistance, and then blow it to Kingdom Come to make sure no White Mask operations take place here." The members of Rainbow six leaned their heads against their seats and mentally prepared themselves for the fight they were about to go into. It was five in all, excluding Kirov and the pilot. Thermite, Ash, Buck, Sledge, and Montagne, and they were ready to kill. Sledge was meticulously loading bullets into his magazine while Montagne was staring out the chopper window at the clouds. Ash leaned her head against Thermites shoulder calmly while Thermite was focused on cleaning the sight on his rifle. Buck, however, was lost in his own thoughts. He wondered if he would ever see Frost again and if he was responsible for her fate. Thermite noticed Buck's expression and spoke up.

"How are doing Buck?" Buck was lost in his thoughts until he heard the question and replied.

"Fine… Fine really, thank you." Buck was far from fine in actuality. The chopper got closer to the LZ and Montagne saw it.

"There it is… It looks even bigger than I imagined." The pilot then got on his intercom.

"We are within 30 seconds of landing. Lock and load. The commander and I will be circling the perimeter from the air. Good luck." The chopper slowly landed on the hard Ice and the hatch opened to reveal a massive snowy ship trapped in Ice. The light turned from red to green and the soldiers piled out onto the ground. The ship was massive and had multiple stories to it, it would likely take them a while to search the entire ship for hostiles. But it wasn't going anywhere, it was completely trapped by Ice and snow on all sides. They planted their feet on the ground and got their rifles ready as they approached the back side of the yacht. The group saw a large doorway that likely would be their point of insertion for the yacht. Buck pointed his fingers at the doorway and Sledge approached it. With one swing of his hammer, he busted the door clear and the rest of the team moved in. The room was covered with red carpet and fancy accommodations. Clearly, the yacht was top of the line. It had all chrome cabinets and tables. And artistic interior design. The team continued to move into the room until they were greeted by a strange noise. It was the sound of an Explosive device humming. Buck signaled for the team to take cover and it wasn't a moment too soon. As fast as they found cover they were attacked. The large wall in the front of the room exploded. This revealed another room behind it. It appeared to be a room for gambling and had a blackjack table, surrounded by slot machines. The hole in the wall quickly became a gateway for a hailstorm of bullets. Rook and Smoke stood behind the hole spewing bullets towards the group.

"Return fire!" Shouted Kirov in his headset. Team rainbow then began to return fire in the direction of Rook.

"What the hell. These aren't normal White Mask's these are the daggers." Said Thermite.

"Montagne, expand your shield and begin to push forward, Ash you take cover behind the counter and cover his advance." Commanded by Kirov. Ash turned her head to see a small counter in the corner of the room. She darted towards it and took cover. She then began to shoot her R4C with precision. She clipped the top of Rook's helmet shattering the glass on his helmet it also tossed him to the ground. The caused the attackers to push forward while Smoke and Rook fell back. All seemed well for team Rainbow until smoke pulled out a small cell phone from his pocket and looked Ash dead in the eyes.

"Oh shit." Ash thought to herself. Before she could react there was a loud explosion and the floor underneath Ash's feet burst and sent her tumbling to the floor below. She fell flat on her back and landed in a pile of wood and rubble.

" _Cough… Cough…_ Guys… I might need some help down here." Ash shouted through the hole. She noticed that her comm set was badly damaged and wasn't working. Thermite and Buck were about to push downstairs until they were abruptly stopped by Rook and Smoke again this time with the help of Doc. They had the stairway locked down.

"That staircase looks pretty hostile right now… Thermite toss a flashbang towards them and it should clear things up for a few seconds. Buck will then run like hell downstairs and try not to get shot while they are reeling. We don't want Ash getting caught by herself." Said Kirov. The soldiers then followed their orders directly. Thermite threw a flashbang down towards the defenders. and it sent them into the adjacent rooms to take cover. In the meantime, Buck continued sprinting and raced down the stairs while the Daggers were taking cover. Buck knew the place inside and out from his pre-operation training and was ready to end this fight.

* * *

 **February 29, 2016,**

 **Baffin Bay,**

 **0650**

Ash climbed to her feet from her landing spot. She felt horrible, with an excruciating headache, and she could feel her back popping. But she had to push forward. She did not have a full feeling for the layout but knew she was at a disadvantage, a sitting duck as long as she stood there, Her only option was to continue to push down the hall in front of her and hope for the best. The walls were made of tightly bound wood and the floor was carpeted. It appeared to be one of the few parts of the ship that was unaffected by the climate. She continued to walk around the bottom floor with her weapon and witts at the ready. She was surprised to see a small kitchen area and multiple small corridors. She decided her best option would be to hold out in the Kitchen prep. There was even a small radio in the corner of the room. It was a fine looking kitchen. With multiple appliances and counters. Anything an indulgently rich person would need to eat on a cruise. All felt well with Ash as she entered the room until she heard a loud snap. She couldn't tell what was wrong but she knew something was. She was almost numb from adrenaline and could barely feel a thing.

Ash tried to continue to walk but suddenly felt immensely tired. More tired than she had ever been. She had just enough strength to control her fall to the ground where she saw it. Wrapped around her leg like a sock. A large Metallic Bear trap had engulfed most of her right leg. The bleeding was faster than imaginable and her bone was likely completely shattered. She didn't feel any pain though, she only felt the shock. She didn't even whisper a word. As her senses came back to her the pain rolled in like a flood. It was unimaginable. She moaned softly but held to most of her wits realizing that she was still in danger. She controlled her breathing and felt her heart rate skyrocket. She thought that she may never get out of that situation alive. She looked around to see if there was anything she could use to help. There was nothing. She was as good as gone. She noticed one thing, however. There was a small camera in the corner of the room nothing unordinary except for a small red dot in the center. She knew from experience that this meant one thing. She was being watched.

She almost began to panic but kept her cool she was trained for situations like this and was ready. She looked around for her weapon and realized that she had dropped her R4C when she fell to the ground. It Was several feet away and even with all the might she had she was unable to reach for it and couldn't move. Ash realized she still had a sidearm and concealed it behind her back. At that moment Frost walked into the room. She had her shotgun and slowly stepped towards Ash. Ash was groaning quietly and Frost noticed it. Frost kicked the R4C towards the opposite corner of the room and closed the distance between her and Ash.

"Painful isn't it. And it makes you feel almost just as helpless." Frost said. The words sunk into Ash and she realized one thing. She would never give up and die. As Frost raised the shotgun to Ash she made a large mistake of being arrogant. Ash was always known for being quicker than her opponents and Ash quickly exploited it. Ash quickly drew her sidearm and pulled the trigger before Frost could react. One round one kill. The bullet went between Frost's eyes and killed her instantly. Frost's body fell to the ground. All that Ash could do is lie back and wait. She couldn't help but feel the urge to close her eyes. But she learned from I.Q. that meant she must stay awake or she would soon perish. Buck sprinted into the room after hearing the bullet, he saw Ash and pulled her to the side. He administered first aid and tied up her wound as best as he could. He was horrified by what he saw. He didn't dare pull the bear trap off however for he feared it would do more damage. As he finished wrapping the wound as best as he could he saw Thermite running down the hall after him.

"Buck… Buck… they are pulling out. The daggers they are leaving for some reason, we don't know why… We don't." Thermite was at a loss of words as soon as he saw Ash. He dropped his helmet and gun on the ground and got right beside her.

"Oh my god… No… NO!" He screamed, he grabbed her leg and began to bandage it even more,

"You're fine. You're fine… You're fine." He whispered to himself as he tended to her. Ash held on as best as she could but was out cold. Unconscious.

Buck was speechless when he saw what happened to Frost in the other room. What was she doing there? How did she get there? Was she one of them? Confused was a humongous understatement for what had just happened. He felt his heart drop as all he knew for sure was she was gone. Dead. He closed her eyelids that had been left open. He felt overwhelming despair and sadness as he realized what just happened.

"What…How... Oh my god..." He whispered to himself. His mind raced as he remembered that his friend was in danger. He and thermite then assisted in carrying Ash through the hallway. This was a day that no one would soon forget.

* * *

 **February 30, 2016,**

 **Location Unknown,**

 **Time Unknown,**

Kirov walked down a long corridor and approached a small office at the end of the hallway. The hallway was dimly lit and had military personnel walking in both directions constantly. Kirov opened the office door and stepped inside the small room. He then turned to Six who was sitting behind the desk in front of him and spoke.

"Operation Black Ice... was a Failure. We destroyed the Yacht, yes, but we failed to eliminate the White Mask threat that was located on board. Not to mention they were not ordinary White Masks at all. It was the Black Daggers. And one of our operators was badly injured."

"Yes, I've heard. How is she?" Asked Six.

"She is in critical condition but we think she will pull through." Responded Kirov.

"That's disappointing to hear. But I know Eliza, I am confident she will pull through. She is a fighter." Said Six.

"Yes I agree, And one more thing… We have some more... very bad news… It turns out the Yacht wasn't a launching area for an attack it was instead an offshore storage location for nuclear launch keys. And the Daggers… They secured them and fled before we could even tell what was happening. We gained this information from some leftover files we uncovered on board. Tell me one thing Director have you ever heard of Project Blackwinter?"

"I may have. Why?" Kirov cleared his throat.

"The White Masks have officially become a nuclear threat."


	16. Broken Hearts

**CHAPTER 16: BROKEN HEARTS**

 **February 29, 2016**

 **Queen Ingrid's Hospital, Greenland**

 **1000**

Broken hearts are a trial that all humans face eventually, but it is not only for love, it also fits into the loss of a friend or family. For Buck, family was hard to come by and he just lost a sister. And for Thermite he feared that he would lose his world. Ash the woman he had loved for so long was on the brink of death after her encounter with a mechanical bear trap, a trap created by none other than Frost, the soldier donned in snow and ice that Buck tried his hardest to save, but he wouldn't see it that way. To him, he failed to save a teammate and it would leave a scar on Buck. But unfortunately for the team, there was no time to mourn, there were much larger issues at hand. Team Rainbow sprinted down the long hallway following a small metal cart as if they were chasing something that they could not reach, almost as if staying closer to the cart would somehow increase the chances of survival. Survival of ash, the soldier who laid bloody and near death on top of the object. Several nurses and doctors pushed the cart and stood around it calling out different things.

"Vitals are dropping!" Said, one nurse.

"We need to get her on life support immediately, take her to the ICU we need to stop the bleeding." Replied a doctor

"Her heart rate is dropping!" Said, another nurse. A large heart monitor attached to the side of the cart began to beep rapidly, signaling issues with Ash's heart.

"We are losing a lot of blood, we need to tie off her leg." Said the doctor. As the cart approached the ICU the team knew that only medical personnel was allowed past its massive metallic doors. Slowly one by one the members of the team stopped jogging and slowed to a stop before the door. First Montagne, then Sledge, and then Buck. The only one who didn't stop was Thermite, he continued to push until he reached the doors. The doctors had already taken Ash through when two security guards began to block Thermite out of the way. Thermite wrestled and tried to split his way through them but they wouldn't budge.

"THAT'S MY GIRLFRIEND, LET ME THROUGH!" Thermite shouted.

"Sir, I'm sorry but you cannot come through here. The doctors need to be alone with her." Said one of the guards.

"LIKE HELL THEY DO… I… I… can't let her be alone." Said Thermite in a descending tone.

"She won't be alone Jordan, The doctors will be there, and they will take good care of her." Said Sledge.

"I'm sorry sir, but we cannot have you blocking this hall we need you to move out. We will notify you of her condition once she is stabilized." Said the guard. Thermite reluctantly walked away from the door with the assistance of Sledge and Buck pulling him away. They continued to walk down the hall until they reached a small visitors center, a small room filled with chairs and little else. Clearly, a place where people commonly ponder whether or not they will see their family or friends again, and Thermite became its newest recipient. He sat down in one of the small plastic chairs and massaged his temples with his fingers, he didn't know what to do. Sledge and Montagne sat down across from him and Buck leaned against a nearby wall. Sledge who appeared to the team as a man to show little emotion was feeling more than a little sorrow and was especially empathetic to Thermite and his condition. Sledge peeled back his thick combat gloves and put them in one of his chest packs. He then took a knee close to Thermite and spoke.

"Look… Mate… I don't know what to tell you… what happened to Eliza… I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy… Just letting you know that I'm here if you need me." Thermite gave no words in response. Montagne just finished removing his chestplate and dropped it in another chair by his own.

"If I were you Jordan, I wouldn't worry… Eliza is easily the strongest woman I have ever met and the doctors here are the best of the best. She will come through." Said Montagne in a reassuring tone. Buck stood there staring at the wall, he was not thinking of anything except for the loss of his friend. He felt as though he let her down twice. First at the coast of Greenland and then again at Baffin bay. It seemed as if nothing was right. He picked up his rifle and began walking down a small corridor and followed signs leading to the bathroom. He strolled through a small wooden door and entered the bathroom where he spotted a few sinks and toilets. He approached one sink and turned the valve to release a flow of water. He filled his hands with water and splashed his face with it. He felt relief but then looked up towards the mirror above the sink and saw himself. He immediately felt immense anger upon the action and drew his fist back before smashing the mirror with his hand. The shards flew onto the ground and covered the sink. He quickly backed up and stared at what he had done. He then hastily left the bathroom. As he rejoined his group of brethren, they had strange looks of confusion on their faces.

"You doing alright…?" Asked Montagne to Buck.

"Of course I am… why would you ask that?" Quickly asked Buck

"Your hand… It's bleeding…" Replied Montagne. Buck was confused but then peered down at his jacket to see small glass shards lining his coat and nothing less than a streak of blood pouring out of a large gash on his hand.

"Are you feeling alright Sebastian…" Asked Thermite

"Fine… Fine… don't worry about me… really." Replied Buck. It seemed the whole room stared at Buck with much worry. There were many questions that plagued Team Rainbow and almost no answers to be found.

* * *

 **March 1, 2016**

 **Moscow, Russia**

 **1000**

A small car drove down the narrow snowy street on a March morning. The car was luxurious, to say the least, and had a sleek black paint job that nearly matched the deep tinted windows. Inside the car were Blitz and a woman. The woman had black hair neatly tied into a beautiful array of braids that surrounded her head. She had light skin that contrasted with her freshly polished red lips and sharp brown eyes. She was wearing formal attire as was Blitz. It was a long black dress that was secured at the waist by an artistic looking red belt that exposed the woman's desirable slim figure, she had a small handbag on her hip that was very inconspicuous and wore comfortable fitting shoes. Blitz was his usual self. Broad shoulders protruded from his suit that he wore. His suit's color scheme matched that of the woman as he had a black jacket and pants with a white dress shirt combined with a red tie. He had his hair slicked back as he actually had a decent head of hair for putting up with a helmet all the time. He also wore a pair of black polarized sunglasses that completely concealed his eyes. His chest however extended outward more than usual, this was due to the body armor that laid just under his garment. Both of them sat in the back of the car as a chauffeur was driving the vehicle.

"Are you ready… darling?" Said the woman in a seductive voice.

"I believe… so." Said, Blitz, as he tuned his earpiece to the proper frequency. "Are you picking this up?" Asked Blitz

"Roger that Elias." Said Thermite on the other end. The car continued driving to its destination

"We are approaching the place… Keep a good look on everything alright?" Said Blitz

"I've got you. Don't worry just focus on the mission." Replied Thermite. The car approached a large square building at the edge of a block. The massive structure was bordered by a large body of water on one side a decent sized market square on the other. The car continued until it was beside a large stone walkway that led to the main entrance. Across the street, on the opposite building was a small crows nest in a tiny apartment. There patiently lied Commander Kirov and another man, a different man, more than a soldier, an artist as well.

"We are good to go as well." Said Kirov,

"Great to hear commander." Responded Blitz, The commander it seemed was unlike most others when it came to field work. He always put seemed to put himself right next to the fighting to get the most powerful vision on his operation. Whether this would be good or bad has yet to be seen "Kafe Dostoyevsky, doesn't seem like much to me…" Said Blitz in a skeptical tone.

"Just wait until you get inside… It really is quite a place." Replied Thermite in an optimistic tone. The door nearest to Blitz was opened by the driver and then he proceeded to take a step out of the vehicle, followed by the woman.

"Let's get going…" Said the woman as she put her arm through Blitz's

 _"Alright, show time."_ thought Blitz to himself.

 **24 Hours Prior**

"Now I think you soldiers deserve an explanation." Said Kirov as he had his rainbow team assembled around him.

"The assault on the yacht did not go as expected, our intel had not informed us that the Black daggers were personally defending the target… and I take fault for that. I have been informed that Eliza will pull through so we can keep our heads up for that at least. We know now that the yacht was not a launching area for an assault as Black Ice predicted. It is the location of a nuclear decryption key needed to launch, you guessed it... a nuclear missile. We have recently gotten intel that can finally explain what the White Masks are up to." Thermite pulled the tent flap over his head and walked into the room where Kirov was speaking. "An old C.I.A. operative named George Ragsten was killed a week ago in Norway, he had been undercover for the last 30 years working with Homeland Security to defend our borders from the Russians, his job, in particular, was to guard a file. An incredibly informative file that contained levels of national security that even I wouldn't be permitted to read. This file was called Project Blackwinter." The group stared at the commander in astonishment.

 _"Was this war really about to take a turn for the worst and go full nuclear?"_ Thought Blitz.

"Unfortunately his family was murdered, police reports show it was done by a drug addict but it was too much for the Ragsten and he lost it. He took it that the world was against him and went dark, he stopped responding to the C.I.A. or anyone else. The government left him be considering his circumstances and with Operation Blackwinter no longer being of any importance they let him go. Now it appears that the White Masks are looking for the WMD's to do their bidding and they are starting with our own." A silent shiver was sent down the spines of every member of team rainbow. "You see. Project Blackwinter was a plan to counter attack a soviet invasion with nuclear weaponry, the file holds the locations of two nuclear decryption keys, those keys, in turn, could trigger a nuclear missile inside of U.S. borders poised straight for Russia… We cannot let that happen. Although we still do not know why the White Masks would want to launch such an attack, it is still of the utmost importance that we stop it." The group's eyes widened. "Six had now tasked us with an important operation. The last nuclear key will be moved to a safe room inside a cafe in the heart of Moscow. The Director of F.B.I. will be meeting the General from the Russian Ministry of Defense. They will be discussing the situation and exchange the last key into Russian hands so they can be properly disposed of…"

"Why… Why put ourselves through all of that risk? Why not just destroy the key now?!" Said Blitz in an angry tone. Commander Kirov rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed before talking.

"I know... it doesn't seem to make sense putting ourselves in this situation, but the Russian government demands they get their hands on that key to personally see to its destruction. They don't want to take any chances here when it is in regards to the safety of their own land. In addition, the Russian President feels that we, Team Rainbow, are failing our duty to defend the free world. They have contacted Six and she has informed me that I must recruit at least two new operators from the Elite Russian Spetsnaz." As if the room wasn't alive enough the thought of new operators to the team surprised the group even further.

"You will get to meet them at a later time but one of them will be with us for our operation, So I suppose now is a good time to take role call and explain the duties. Team Rainbow is tasked with the security of the meeting and making sure everything goes well between the Director and the General. Six has informed us that the location and timing should make this meeting unknown to the White Masks… Don't believe a word of it." Shock was all that seemed to be present as the commander directly disregarded Six's words.

"We've seen before what happens when we underestimate the White Masks they are clearly informed of our operations so we need to stop them the way we were trained. With force. I will be watching over this operation close to the site in an apartment across the street from the cafe, I will be the spotter for our newest Spetsnaz sniper, he came to us as Codename Glaz. We will be providing overwatch. Thermite and I.Q. I want you two running intel, you guys will be in a van across the street providing information from satellites, you will also be monitoring the conversation of the Director to ensure everything moves smoothly. Now the exciting part. Blitz you will be put on the inside, posing as a rich customer. You can't go alone however, you will need a date." Thermite smirked before saying.

"Elias my man! I always knew you had a soft spot for the ladies!" Sledge and Montagne proceeded to laugh. Blitz did not find it funny however knowing that he would be directly inserted into the target zone. Kirov continued where he left off.

"Blitz you are going to be with another Russian operative, again this is because the Russians don't believe our operators are getting the job done, except for apparently you Blitz. She is part of Spetsnaz and is a very experienced Intelligence officer and field agent. She will assist us greatly in this operation so show her all the respect she deserves, she will be your date so you two will need to act as a couple should. Her name is Natalya Sokolov. Is everything clear Blitz?"

"Crystal sir." Said, Blitz.

"Alright that will be all, prepare yourself for the operation we will be wheels up in Fifteen!" Stoutly spoke Kirov. As the room began to empty I.Q. walked over to where Blitz was sitting. He was sipping on his canteen thinking of what may happen in his mission.

"What are you thinking about?" Asked I.Q.

"Nothing really… This mission I suppose." Replied Blitz. I.Q. frowned she had been much happier since Blitz returned to the team but knew that safety was not insured in their line of work.

"Are you worried?" Asked I.Q.

"Not really, I'm just curious as to how this will all play out." Responded Blitz Briefly.

"Are you worried?" He asked

"No… not at all. I trust that everything will play out the commander intends it to." She said. Both of the soldiers knew that I.Q.'s comment was a lie but they left it there.

"I bet you are excited." She said. "You get to go on a date." She said in a joking manner.

"I suppose so… after all, It's been far too long since I have had the romantic company of a woman on a date." Said Blitz as he smirked. I.Q. smiled back and as she was about to reply was cut off by the commander.

"Alright let's move Rainbow Team, no time to waste." Blitz shrugged towards I.Q. and spoke.

"Let's get to work Monika."

"Let's do this." Replied I.Q. in a determined tone. The rest of the Rainbow team grabbed their gear and loaded it onto a large chopper. Team Rainbow was about to attempt its next mission with higher stakes than ever before. But after the failures of the past, the team knew what they were up against and would show no mercy.


	17. Expected Surprises

**CHAPTER 17: EXPECTED SURPRISES**

 **March 1, 2016**

 **Kafe Dostoyevsky, Moscow, Russia**

 **1015**

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Said Natalya. Blitz was not paying attention but his attention shot upward from the question.

"Yes… yes, I am." Said Blitz in a sudden confused tone. Natalya smiled showing her bright white smile.

"I'm glad… You know you do look very handsome this morning." Said Natalya in a teasing manner. Blitz couldn't help but smile at the compliment.

"Thank you. And you look very beautiful this morning. I must say." Replied Blitz. They were playing the part perfectly and It was easy for Blitz because of how charming Natalya was.

"Tell me about yourself Elias… what was it like to be in the GSG9" Blitz's smirk turned into a plain expression.

"It was terrifying, I can't tell you what it was like. In the field or what it was like to kill a man. All I can tell you is that it changes you. And even after the war, when you are home again you never truly go back to the way you were before." Her face turned to a more stern expression. She reached out and put her hand over Blitz's that was laying on top of the table.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through that, but you are a hero." Said Natalya, the comment made Blitz feel better.

"Thank you, Natalya." Replied Blitz. As the couple sat discussing the rest of their thoughts a waiter approached the table and began to speak.

"Good Morning sir and madam. I am Dimitri and I will be your waiter today. Can I start you two off with something to drink."

"I think I would be fine with water." Said, Blitz.

"Some green tea for me would be great." Said Natalya

"I will have that right out for you." Said the waiter as he walked away. Blitz let out a sigh of relief.

"I was worried there for a second, I thought I was going to have to attempt to speak Russian." Said, Blitz. Natalya giggled.

"No no… That is not the case we are at one of the finest cafes in Russia they speak many languages here and are all prepared to deal with English speakers like yourself… What would you have done though If he did speak in Russian." Said, Natalya as she smirked.

"Ah… I can't really speak Russian. I tried to learn, many years ago and failed miserably." He said.

"It can't be that bad… let's hear it!" She said.

"Oh… I don't think you would like it." He said.

"Come on… I won't judge you…" She said.

"Well all right here I go…" He said as he cleared his throat.

"Ty vyglyadish' ochen' priyatno segodnya (You look very today nice)." She giggled some more.

"You look so cute when you are trying to figure the language out. You have the words mixed up its. ty ochen' khorosho vyglyadish' segodnya (You look very nice today.)" She said

"I told you I wasn't great at Russian…" He said.

"It's fine darling… to be honest I'm not perfect either. I can't speak German worth a damn." She said. The waiter came back out to the table with a pitcher of water and a small teacup. He placed them meticulously down on the table almost in precise locations.

"I'm sorry but I will not be able to take your meal orders right now as we are experiencing some problems with the kitchen plumbing, we will have the problems resolved soon and I will be out here shortly to take your orders." Said Dimitri.

"That's alright, we have all the time in the world." Said, Blitz as he smiled and continued his conversation with Natalya.

 **10 Minutes Prior in Kafe Dostoyevsky**

"Jack JACK! HURRY UP AND GET YOUR ASS IN THE KITCHEN!" Screamed Dimitri to Jack.

"And bring Miles with you… I swear if I have to get on you one more time!" Said Dimitri.

"Sorry sir, I will be there shortly…" Said Jack

 _"Fucking prick…"_ He whispered under his breath.

"You all set Jack?" Said Miles.

"Yeah… Yeah, I think so." Responded Jack. The two men were Jack Estrada and Miles Campbell, both highly trained Ex F.B.I. Swat agents. Jack Estrada was a tall and slim man with a bald head. But lacked nothing for physicality, he had light skin and wore dark sunglasses that concealed his eyes. Miles Campbell was close to equal in height but prided himself on his strength and was much heavier than Jack, he had dark skin and black hair with brown eyes. Both men were wearing typical kitchen gowns but had slipped plates of body armor underneath their shirts.

"Let's do this then." Said Miles. The two men were standing in a plumbing area close to the kitchen. The room was lined with pipes and control mechanisms of all shapes and sizes. Every part was integral and required for the kitchen to receive water properly. Miles carried a very large box that read Meat Packaging on the side with an image of a steak. Jack pulled a small wrench out from his pocket and began to apply it on one of the pipes on the wall. He worked on it for several seconds before speaking.

"Is there anyone coming?" Said Jack. Miles was on lookout standing at the edge of the doorway looking for Dimitri or anyone else to come wandering by.

"No… no, you are good, just keep working." Said Miles

"Alright… almost… got it!" Said, Jack as he finished loosening a nut on the pipe. He then grabbed the pipe with both arms and pulled. The pipe began to whistle as water was spraying out. _"Snap."_ The pipe tore off the wall and fell to the ground with a loud clank. The pipe then began to flood the floor with water uncontrollably as Jack had severed the pipeline.

"Go go go!" Said Jack in a frantic tone. The two men then began to swiftly walk through the kitchen all the way to the opposite side. They watched as all the appliances using water ceased their actions. Angry cooks cursed at the machines not realizing who were to blame for the actions. Once the soldiers reached the opposite side of the kitchen they found the large meat locker. The room was reinforced on all sides except for the roof. The soldiers walked inside and sealed themselves inside the meat locker by closing the large metal door that allowed for entry. Miles then sat down the large box and opened the cardboard flaps on the sides. Out he pulled, two black F.B.I. Swat uniforms. One for Jack and one for Miles. He then pulled out a UMP45 and an M1014. He handed the UMP45 to Jack and kept the M1014 for himself. Both of the men tore off their kitchen garments and put on their new Military gear. As they finished zipping their vests and tying their boots. Jack looked over at Miles.

"I couldn't stand pretending to work for that asshole. I don't know how you coped with it so well."

"You learn to deal with these things. Especially in our line of work." Responded Miles.

"I suppose that's true. Did you remember to bring it?" Asked Jack.

"Of course I did, here you go." Said Miles as he handed Jack a small black device. It was a Cardiac sensor capable of sensing heartbeats through obstacles. Jack felt it with his gloved fingers and turned it on. Immediately the device showed a vast array of red. Analyzing the nearby area for heartbeats. He saw multiple heart beats through the walls from the kitchen staff to customers of the cafe. These were not who he was after however. Jack pointed his heartbeat sensor towards the ceiling and began scanning for heartbeats above him. He found four. Directly above him in a small secluded room was four individuals.

"Here… place it here." Said Jack as he pointed towards a small corner on the ceiling.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Said Miles.

"Positive." Replied Jack. Miles then reached back into the meat box and pulled out a small Nitrocell explosive.

"Are you sure this will work. What if we kill them on accident?" Said Miles.

"We won't kill them they are in a reinforced safe room, just stick to the plan and we will be fine." Said Jack.

 **Meanwhile In the FBI Director's Safe Room**

"Good morning General." Said the FBI Director to the Russian General of Defense.

"Good to see you, Director." Responded the general. The general nodded to a soldier in the back of the room. He nodded back and closed the large metal door that secured the room so that way it would only be the two of them with the couple soldiers who were watching over the meeting. There were two soldiers in the room. Both wore dark black body armor and helmets along with black garments that covered every inch of their skin. The only break from the blackness was the signature Spetsnaz logo on one soldier's armband and a small U.S. Flag on the other soldier's armband. The General was almost just as plain, he was wearing a simple Black suit with a small Russian flag pin. With light skin and dark hair with sunglasses. He kept most of his body concealed. The FBI director wore a blue suit and carried with him a locked metal briefcase. Their safe room was completely air tight. With no colors on the walls, a single light on the ceiling and a metal table with chairs for furniture.

"Let's get right down to business, we deeply apologize for all the misunderstanding that has arisen from the recent terrorist attacks. I can't stress enough that the U.S. was not responsible for any of these attacks. The recent… loss of Project Blackwinter will no longer mean a thing if you get rid of this key once and for all." Said the director as he tapped his finger on his briefcase.

"Yes… I am also sorry to see your precious team Rainbow failing to do their job. I can only hope that operators Glaz and Fuze can assist you to get the job done." Said the General.

"Yes well. Again thank you for the understanding, we will make good use of the men." Said the Director in a saddened attitude.

"It really is disappointing too. I know Jason and I know he is quite the impressive commander. These White Masks really must be something to still be alive after trifling with him for multiple months." Said the General.

"The commander is working at his best with the circumstances presented to him. Believe me, the White Masks may have a small streak now but they will be ended and brought to justice before they even realize it's over. We almost ended them multiple months back on a plane in the U.K. but there were some serious repercussions and the commander had to make a tough decision." Replied the Director.

"I've read the file. No disrespect to the commander but if I was in charge I would have sacrificed the man. He understood the risks and it would have been to save thousands of innocent lives. You have seen the capacity for untamed destruction the Black Daggers can produce if they are left alone. You remember the attack on langley don't you?" Said the General.

"Of course I do It was a national tragedy!… look general I respect your opinion but I did not come here to be patronized. I am just here to deliver the key so we can put these problems behind us… so please just take the key will you…" Said the Director in an angered tone. The general frowned at the outburst.

"Fine, just remember who you are talking to in the fu…"

 _BOOM!_ The general's statement was cut out by a very loud explosion and floor collapsing beneath them. Much like a tidal wave swallowing a ship, the room and its inhabitants fell into the room below. Near unconscious the F.B.I. director reached for his earpiece to find it was flung to the other side of the room. The entire room was littered with debris and the Russian General was stuck underneath the large metal table that fell with them. The two soldiers attempted to regain their balance and stand up but were stopped in their tracks. _BANG!_ The Russian soldier was cut down by Miles' shotgun blast, splitting his skull. The second soldier scrambled to his feet but was shot several times through the chest by a Jack's Submachine gun. The FBI Director began to panic and attempted to reach for his pistol but instead got Miles' boot stomping down hard on his hand.

"OW!" Screamed the Director as his hand was crushed.

"JUST STAY DOWN!" Shouted Miles as he pressed his shotgun barrel against the skull of the director. The director stopped struggling temporarily until he saw Jack picking up the briefcase from the Generals unconscious body. He then frantically struggled and nearly got his arm free from miles boot. Frustrated Miles hit the Director in the head with the stock of his gun and knocked him out.

"We have the case… Ha ha! We actually have the case!" Said Jack in an excited tone.

"I always knew it was within our grasps but to actually have it… my god!" Shouted Miles.

"There will be heavy resistance… We need to get the Hell out of here… onto Phase Two. Jerome should be waiting for us in the market square." Said Jack. The two soldiers stepped their ways out of the rubble and opened the meat locker door. Jack spoke into his small shoulder Radio

"J-hawk we are ready to get out of here… we have the package… and are expecting heavy resistance."

"Roger I'm on my way." Replied the driver known as Jerome on the radio. As they stepped out of the freezer They found an empty flooded kitchen. Likely everyone fled when they heard the explosion. They knew the police would be all over the area so they began to run out of the kitchen. Outside of the kitchen, they found themselves in the main dining area of the cafe. There was nobody in sight so they began to slow their movement. It was a mistake. Swiftly a bullet flew through the air and barely missed Jack's skull. He then ducked behind a large wooden cabinet. Miles searched for cover and in his hesitance received a round square in the chest. It knocked him to the ground and he scrambled over to behind a large bar. He felt his chest and found the bullet shrunk to a tiny size. Blocked entirely by the thick body armor that he wore. Jack took his UMP45 and began to fire rounds down range. Blind firing not to hit his target but to simply stop their approach. The two tangos that fired on them at the opposite edge of the long dining hall were none other than Blitz and Natalia. Both were supplied with M16's and were fully prepared to neutralize the target.

"Hold up here, we don't want to push right now!" Said Blitz to Natalya, Insubordinately Natalya pushed forward anyways ignoring Blitz's command. Bullets went flying over their heads as Blitz grabbed Natalia and tackled her to the ground.

"I won't let you get shot, not today. I need you to listen to me..." Said Blitz, Natalya feeling very grateful responded.

"Than… Thank you, Elias… I'm sorry... I will." As the two operatives got to their feet and regained their bearings. Blitz used a hand signal to show he was moving to flank around. Natalia nodded and proceeded to provide suppressive fire. As the bullets flew down the hall Jack dropped another mag out from his SMG and put a fresh one in. He spotted the motion and shouted to Miles.

"One of them is moving to flank, north side!" Shouted Jack.

"On it!" Replied Miles. And not a moment too soon Miles poised his shotgun towards a doorway close to him on his flank and fired a shell. The shell sent a couple BB's through Blitz's hand but did not seriously injure him.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Shouted Blitz. As he crept back away from the doorway to not get killed. He grabbed his hand and felt the area of his palm where the BB's impacted. It was painful and bloodied but could have been a lot worse. Thermite then began to speak over the radio comms to Blitz.

"Elias! Elias you alright!"

"Yeah… Yeah I'm fine just got tagged is all. This is why I use a fucking shield goddamn it!" Replied Blitz.

"Ha ha… yeah, you are fine." Said Thermite.

"Give me some eyes here what are they up too?!" Frantically asked Blitz.

"It looks like they are pinned down, there is only one way out for them and that is to leave through the market square. That's an easy kill for Glaz." Said Kirov. As Blitz is being held back by the door Jack frantically searches his chest pack and finds two small canisters that read _"WHITE SMOKE SCREEN."_ He then proceeded to pull the pin on the two canisters and launch them down the dining hall. The smoke was thick and blocked Natalya's vision over Jack and Miles.

"Damnit… I lost them, they deployed smoke." Said Natalya in a frustrating tone.

"That's alright Natalya I need you to check and see if the Director and the General are still alive…" Said Kirov.

"Yes, sir…" Said Natalya.

"Blitz I need you to apply pressure on their position. Get them to flee their positions inside the building and run to the market square they will be easily picked off there." Commanded Kirov.

"Roger that." Said, Blitz. the man then threw his suit jacket on the ground and tore a small portion of the fabric off. He took the piece and wrapped it around his hand and tied it firmly. He grabbed his rifle and began to strafe the doorway he was shot at and landed multiple shots close the Miles' body. Miles looked back at Jack for information.

"Let's get the fuck out of here!" Shouted Jack as he ran to exit.

"JACK STOP!" shouted Miles towards Jack.

"Remember what York told us. They will most definitely have an overwatch on this position you will get blasted if you take a step out of that door. You need to stay here and wait for Jerome." Spoke Miles again. Jack stopped himself in his tracks and collected himself.

"You are right… thanks, Miles." Said Jack.

"It's what I do… Now help me secure this doorway before we get shot up." Said Miles as more bullets flew through the doorway. As Jack began to provide suppressing fire down the doorway to drive Blitz back to where he came, he peered over to his side and saw the smoke screen already beginning to dissipate.

"Okay, we really need to get the Fuck out of here." Said Jack. Miles also felt the pressure beginning to build on his position but was relieved to see a large armored Van approaching their position from outside the door.

"There he is! Oh, thank god!" Shouted Miles.

"I'm coming in hot… boy, you really weren't kidding about heavy resistance." Said Jerome over the radio.

"This is much more than we were expecting… Thanks for saving us." Said Jack.

"Thank me later… now get in before you get capped." Said, Jerome as he pulled his large van towards the doorway with the back entrance pointed towards the door. The two men then opened the doors to the van and piled in before slamming it closed. Blitz sprinted down the empty doorway and saw the back of the van. He opened fire on the doors but saw his bullets do nothing more than dent it. Frustrated he dropped his rifle onto the ground and tapped his earpiece.

"Shit… We lost them… they are mobile, in an armored vehicle." Said Blitz

"Roger… What the hell, we are seeing the same thing here commander they have nothing but roads to stop them now." Said I.Q. in an angered tone.

"We have visual… Glaz will be attempting a driver kill shot as we speak." The members of team Rainbow crossed their hearts. Glaz expertly aimed his crosshairs over the head of the head of Jerome. He squeezed the trigger and sent a round flying. The glass was bulletproof but Glaz's rounds were too high of a caliber. It shattered the windshield and killed Jerome instantly. The van sped out of control on the icy roads and viciously hit a guardrail. It sent the van rolling over itself and landed on its right side. Jack and Miles lay on the side interior of the van. Miles was completely unconscious but Jack was still awake. He was not anywhere near to aware of his surrounding as both the soldiers suffered concussions. Jack could not find his UMP45 that flew out the front windshield but he still had his M45 Handgun. He aimed it towards the back doors that still were latched.

"Help me find my gun J-Hawk… J-hawk?" Asked Jack. He turned around to see his friend Jerome dead from a sniper round.

"JEROME NO!" Shouted Jack, he peered at the ground and saw Miles lying with the briefcase clenched in his hand.

"Get up Miles… Get up right now!" Shouted Jack as he kicked Miles' side.

"Screw it… I will kill them all myself!" Jack unlatched the back door and walked out onto the freshly fallen snow with his pistol shaking in his hand. He saw Blitz, Natalya, and at least 10 other Russian police officers pointing rifles at him. Jack pulled the trigger and heard only a click. He peered down and saw that the magazine had flown out of his gun during the crash, he then dropped the gun to the ground and passed out. As pulse laid on the ground the Russian officers approached the van and secured the tangos along with the briefcase. Blitz tapped his earpiece and spoke.

"Commander the key is secure and the targets are being apprehended. Tell Glaz he gets a round on me."


	18. Men of Action

**CHAPTER 18: MEN OF ACTION**

 **March 2, 2016**

 **Hereford Base, England**

 **1200**

"How are they?" Asked Blitz to Kirov.

"Well they are both finally awake and have decent concussions, luckily we don't need to know anything short term, we are going to finally get some answers on the White Mask whereabouts. Interrogations start shortly so I would stick around for the show if I were you." Replied Kirov.

"Alright good to know, don't go easy on the bastards commander." Said, Blitz.

"Oh believe me... I won't, now that I got my hands on one of the White Masks I'm not going to let up until I know everything." Said Kirov. He walked down a small hallway to a tiny room that read _"INTERROGATION"_ above in large letters. Kirov cracked his knuckles and grabbed the small briefcase from the cafe before entering the room. He walked to his seat across the table from Miles and began to speak.

"I hope you and your friend have a damn good excuse or I think this may be the last day you two see sunlight." As the commander went to work on Miles. Blitz sat in the observation deck sipping on water and feeling his wounded palm with his fingers. Suddenly the door to the deck crept open and Natalya walked through. She had a small bundle of bandages in her hand and brought them to Blitz.

"Alright let's see the wound…" Said Natalya.

"It's fine, I don't need anything. Really." Replied Blitz.

"Shhh…" Whispered Natalya as she placed her index finger in front of Blitz's mouth on his lips. "I have heard it a thousand times and I simply will not take no for an answer… You know... my grandmother was the one who taught me how to nurse an individual back to health. She was actually a nurse in World War Two believe it or not. She lived to be 86. Hell of a woman, I can only hope to be like her one day. I took up her training and became a combat nurse for myself, I have seen some of the most... impossible situations, the most dangerous circumstances and yet I somehow came out of it."

"Why are you telling me this?" Asked Blitz as Natalya was unwrapping his bandages

"I'm telling you this because you need to understand what you have done for this Team and why they would be lost without you. I didn't live this long because of my nursing skills alone, it was because of brave soldiers who stood up to save the lives of their brothers and sisters." She replied. She peered at his wounds and took a can of disinfectant spray and shook it. "This will sting…" She said as she sprayed it onto the wound. "This will stop the wound from any infection, we will get rid of the shell stuck in your hand later tonight when my surgical equipment gets here from Moscow." She said as she began to wrap Blitz's hand with gauze.

"What do you mean they would be lost without me?" Questioned Blitz. Natalya smiled.

"I've seen the way the team works around you. They see you as a strong reliable center for them to lean on. Every great team needs one, but not all have one. But they got lucky with you. I got lucky to have you…" Said Natalya in a descending tone.

"What do you mean you got lucky?" Blitz asked once again. Natalya finished bandaging Blitz's hand and started collecting the scraps.

"What I mean is back at the cafe when there were bullets flying downrange at me when I should not have been so aggressive you did something out of the ordinary. The ordinary soldier focuses on their survival during the firefight, it's only natural. After all their lives are at stake. The adrenaline is overwhelming and survival of self is all that seems to matter. But you did something truly Extraordinary. You risked your life to save me… and I won't soon forget it."

"It really was nothing… I simply acted on instinct, you don't owe me anyth…" Blitz's words were cut off from Natalya grabbing his chin pulling him and locking lips with him for a few short seconds. As their heads separated Blitz looked at Natalya with astonishment.

"I'll get out of your hair now. I just had to do that once... after all, we did just go on a date…" Said, Natalya as she walked out of the room. Blitz was speechless but simply turned his attention towards the interrogation. Kirov was sitting in the interrogation room with a confident grin on his face looking into Miles' eyes.

"Now… Miles is it… I realize that you may not remember much of what happened yesterday but that does not excuse you from what has happened. You still remember everything that happened before yesterday. Tell me first who are you and why were you at Kafe Dostoyevsky on March 1st?"

"I don't remember anything man… Nothing at all." Kirov stood up out of his chair and leaned over his table close to Miles' face.

"We both know that that is UTTER BULLSHIT! Now I will ask you again why were you at Kafe Dostoyevsky on March first? Miles rubbed his eyes without saying a word.

"Fine if this is how you want to go down, It's more fun anyways." Said Kirov as he began to walk towards the door.

"No, wait!… I know how these things go… You won't stop until you get the information you want so I will just give it to you upfront, besides it won't change anything."

"What information… won't change what?!" Demanded Kirov

"Me and my two buddies… we were going to get rich… be set for life. And we were that close to until you stopped our van." Said Miles

"Rich… How? Were you offered money for the key?" Asked Kirov

"Exactly… you see Jack and I were looking to get out of the force for a long time, we spent too much time risking our lives for a teacher's salary so we decided to take our talents elsewhere, become freelance soldiers." Replied Miles

"So mercenaries?" Rebutted Kirov

"Mercenary is a misleading term I prefer freelance…" Miles was cut off by Kirov.

"I don't care what you call yourself! What I want to know is why did you steal the key, who was offering the reward?" Said Kirov

"After we left the force we started looking for work… we got some contracts as security for some businesses and even some work for middle eastern governments. Overthrowing a dictator, staging a coup etcetera, etcetera, we met some interesting and powerful individuals there who came from similar backgrounds. Left their country's military for more money, it's more common than you would think. We even met a Navy seal who left, but as if that wasn't weird enough it was a woman, I didn't even know there was one." Said Miles.

"I don't care about this, when is this going to tie into Kafe Dostoyevsky?

"We were never truly satisfied with the price tag. That's why we left, after all, was for more money and while we were making a lot we still wanted more. That's when we were contacted by an organization. As sketchy as they come, We heard they were terrorists so we tried to ignore them but after learning more we realized they are much more than that of terrorists, they are a military force and paid more than we could have imagined…" Said Miles.

"Who… who are they?" Asked Kirov

"They call themselves the Brotherhood of the White Mask." Kirov took a step back as his worst fears were realized.

"And this brotherhood… they gave you the location of the decryption key?" Asked Kirov.

"Yes sir, and it came with a very very large price tag. The problem it seems is that now that we have failed our mission Jack and I are marked for death by the brotherhood. Our lives are forfeited. so we have nowhere to go now." Kirov took a second to think of what to ask next.

"How did they acquire the intel as to where this key was?"

"The Masks have connections with a man down in Brazil he sells them weapons and intel at a discount. He has a small hacking team that will hack for a fee. They will shut down servers, disrupt traffic flow, or steal classified documents from the government all for the right price. It's always on one condition. That it doesn't harm the country of Brazil in any way. Besides that, he will do just about anything. The White masks used him for the intel.

"Can you tell me his name?" Questioned Kirov.

"I couldn't because I don't know his name. I only know his alias. They call him Capitão or the Captain."

"The Captain?" Kirov said

"Weird huh, well that's the end of it. That's all I know and I'm being truthful." Said Miles.

"I believe you, there is just one more thing I need you to do for me." Said Kirov.

"And that is?" Asked Miles.

"You are going to lead me to the Captain." Replied Kirov

"You what? Ha ha!" Miles began to laugh before continuing. "I've never even met him let alone know where he is. Plus if you try to find him you will end up dead with your throat cut out, you aren't the first to try."

"You don't know where he is then who does?" Asked Kirov.

"Well, Jack does… BUT IT'S A FOOL'S ERRAND I'm warning you these are men of action and are some very dangerous people, they mean business!" Said Miles.

"And you don't think I do?" Says Kirov as he walked towards the door and opened it. He walked out into the hallway and pointed at Jack who was standing in between two MP's

"You and I are going to have a little chat in Interrogation chamber B." Said Kirov, the two guards grab Jack and escorted him into the interrogation room and sat him down in a chair. Kirov waved for the guards to hang around the door outside the room. As it shut Kirov sat down in the chair opposite Jack.

"You know of a man named the captain and you are going to take me to him." Demanded Kirov

"Is that what Miles told you huh? Figures, the reason he told you everything is because there is nothing left to lose at this point I'm assuming. I'm sure at this point he doesn't see you as the enemy and could maybe even want to help you out of his ex-military pride coming out… well, I can't help but disagree. I find it hard to see you as anything other than an enemy after what you did to Jerome. I doubt you even know who I'm talking about." Said Jack

"Jerome? Your driver?" Questioned Kirov

"Yes, he was my driver but was also one of my best friends next to Miles. And you killed him…" Said Jack

"We had no choice you were attempting to steal a nuclear decryption key!" Shouted Kirov. "If you ask me it sounds like the people who assigned you that contract are the real enemies putting three men up against an elite fighting force. Did they even tell you that you would be fighting against Team Rainbow?!" Said Kirov.

"No, no they didn't we were told that it was going to be an easy job in and out and no one would have to die, besides a couple guards that is." Replied Jack.

"Exactly you got screwed by the Brotherhood. Why won't you just accept the circumstances and help us? We are trying to bring an end to the terrorist organization that got your friend killed!" Said Kirov.

"Because we had a deal… We had been given a contract an order to complete and we failed. That's on us. That's something I learned from SWAT…" Responded Jack.

"I was a soldier once to you know, and I can tell you right now that failing to complete a suicide mission is not a soldiers fault. There is a place where leadership has to take the blame for failure… I learned that the hard way. If you won't help me then there is nothing left to discuss." Kirov stood up and began to approach the doorway.

"Wait. Wait! Don't leave. You were a soldier?" Desperately asked Jack.

"Many years ago, and I suffered a loss much greater than what you faced today. I got a good part of my company killed in Afghanistan. Men, I called my brothers. That I was commanding and was supposed to lead. The pain never left after the dust settled so I know damn well exactly how you feel right now." Replied Kirov

"I'll do it…" Said Jack.

"Do what?" Asked Kirov. Jack cleared his throat before responding.

"I'll bring you to him, I'll bring you to the Captain."

* * *

 **Date Unknown**

 **Location Unknown**

 **Time Unknown**

Coughing and throwing up blood were the only two things Bandit had known for the last 5 days. Bandit did not know where he was or how long he had been there but he knew he had to survive. Trapped inside of a shipping container, he was surrounded by bodies. Women and Men, Young and Old. Truly indiscriminate of age, religion, and Nationality. This could only be the actions of the White Masks. The area was dark, almost pitch dark, the only thing that provided light was small cracks in the ceiling and walls that shed light from the top deck.

Occasionally Bandit heard footsteps or even voices but he didn't dare speak. If the crew knew he was alive they would surely kill him. He didn't know where he was going but for now, he had to pretend that he was dead. His cover with the White Masks was blown, Bandit had been posing as a Brotherhood member for the last 3 years and his hard work and near loss of life led to a busted operation on a plane and a knife wound.

The blade penetrated through bandits jacket but only got a few inches into his flesh and did not hit any internal organs. The only reason this could be was that Frost did not fully penetrate the blade into Bandit's chest and instead applied only a fraction of the pressure, never intending to kill Bandit. It still hurt him badly and bleed excessively but bandit had kept makeshift bandages over the wound and kept the pressure on it for the most part. Another problem was that Bandit had not eaten for those 5 days, he had gotten water from the rain that dripped through the cracks in his crate but not even a nibble for food. His only hope is to play dead in the crate and when the crew comes to investigate, ambush them. Bandit found a broken pair of scissors that he could make plentiful use of for killing.

As he was laying on the ground grabbing his wound he felt a sudden shake of the crate. It seemed that the world was shaking. Confusion flooded his mind as he wondered what could possibly cause the disturbance. Bandit peered through a small crack in the crate and saw that a large shipping crane was, in fact, lifting him off the ship and placing him on some construct.

He didn't know what was happening until he felt another shake the crane releasing his crate. Then there was a conversation. Men outside the crate talking. Bandit heard the sound of men opening the crate doors and he immediately laid down beside the bodies and pretended to be one. Scissors clenched in one hand. Wound clenched in the other, he was ready, it was now or never. He saw the light shining on him through his eyelids and smelt the sudden flow of fresh air. It was so much more pleasant the smell of dead bodies that he almost gasped with pleasure but he kept to his wits and stayed silent. He heard the men talking, They were not taking any steps forward in the crate and instead stayed right where they were at the entrance of the crate. One man then spoke into what sounded to bandit like a handheld radio.

"It smells like shit in here… But everything seems in order. The product is clear to the Boneyard." Said the man.

 _"The Boneyard… That's the place York was talking about before I blacked out. Is this where the dead enemies of the Brotherhood go to decay?"_ Bandit thought to himself As the crate doors closed it became apparent that Bandit was on a Semi Truck. What he didn't know was where he was or where he was going. All he could wonder at that point was what is the Boneyard and what horrors await him there?


	19. The Captain

**CHAPTER 19: THE CAPTAIN**

 **March 5, 2016**

 **Rio de Janeiro, Brazil**

 **1000**

The chopper loomed over the ghetto Favelas of Rio. It appeared to be almost like a maze of houses, shacks, tents, and any other living establishment possible. It looked remarkable, like a flood of colors yellows, greens, and reds, the whole area seemed like an artist's creation but life in this favela was far from being that pleasant. Team Rainbow came prepared to bring the finest operators at their disposal. Thermite, Blitz, and of course Kirov. Along with them, are two men that will lead the team into the fire and hopefully out with the information they need. Those men are Jack and Miles. Kirov in addition also decided it was high time to call upon his other gift from the Russians, he received an elite Spetsnaz operative named Codename Fuze. As the team locked and loaded their weapons. Both Jack and Miles were unarmed as Kirov could not trust them with a weapon, however, both Jack and Miles found new trust in Kirov that they never thought they would have, and were about to help Team Rainbow eradicate their previous employers. Miles nudged Jack with his elbow and whispered.

"Hey, I brought you something that may come in handy." Said Miles as he handed the Cardiac Sensor to Jack.

"Why in the world would I need this?" Asked Jack.

"You never know it could come in handy, you have room for it on your kit and we spent a solid fifteen grand on it I pictured you might want to put it to use more than once." Said Miles

"Fair enough I suppose." Responded Jack as he carefully planted the Cardiac sensor in the largest slot of his vest.

"Plus. It is really cool…" Said Miles. Jack smiled and responded in a joking manner.

"That it is. Miles. That it is…" Kirov looked over at the two soldiers and spoke.

"Are we good to go gentlemen?"

"Yes, sir!" Said Jack and Miles in unison. It occurred to them that they really were soldiers for life.

"Good because we are nearing the drop zone. Get ready." Said Kirov. The pilot tapped Kirov on the shoulder to get his attention.

"After you boys are on the ground. I'm taking off the refilling station until you call for me again."

"Understood, we will radio you when we get what we need." Responded Kirov. The pilot nodded and flipped a switch on his control panel. A large red light shined beside the heads of the soldiers.

"We are nearing the drop zone. When that light turns green you will need to rappel out!" Shouted the Co-Pilot. All the soldiers nodded their heads. Kirov changed the frequency on his radio to tune into his eye in the sky. He put I.Q. and Natalya on the role of satellite overwatch back at Hereford by the codename of Eagle.

"Eagle base do you come in?" Asked Kirov.

"Roger we hear you." Said I.Q. over the radio.

"Natalya you there?" Questioned Kirov.

"I'm here also Commander." Replied Natalya. Kirov felt satisfied with his mic checks and was ready to go. Thermite looked over at Fuze.

"So Fuze I hear you have some special explosives or something like that?" Asked Thermite.

"Something like that…" Said Fuze.

"Well, what is it exactly? Like a special grenade?" Asked Thermite again.

"In a way it is… But you will not truly understand with words. I will show you how it works in the field and then you will understand alright?" Responded Fuze.

"Okay, I am eager to see it." Said Thermite

 _'Crazy commie…'_ Thermite thought to himself.

 _'Are all Americans this strange?'_ Fuze thought to himself. The chopper finally was in position and the red light flipped to green. The chopper doors swung open.

"Go! Go! Go!" Kirov shouted to the men. Thermite and Blitz laid the rappels and then zoomed down to the ground as the other operators followed closely behind. They found themselves in a small lot that was painted into a soccer field. It was small but was the largest open space for miles.

"Now Jack and Miles I made a huge risk letting you come with us. Let alone armed. Please do not make me regret this trust. From one soldier to another." Said Kirov. Jack and Miles looked at each other with confusion.

"Of course not Commander. We are on your side now." Said Jack.

"Good… good. I just wanted to make sure." Responded Kirov.

"But why are you here... I mean why are out on the field with us? You are a commander, not a soldier..." Said Jack.

"Like I said before, I once was a soldier and still am... Regardless of my rank, Plus I can handle myself in combat, don't you worry about me." Said Kirov.

"It's true." Agreed Thermite. "Ol' Jason here could kick any one of our asses if he wanted to." Kirov laughed before responding.

"Ha Ha... Maybe if I was a little younger, I don't know if I could take you on Jordan."

"Oh commander, you are too humble." Jokingly responded Thermite.

"Commander it looks like the closest entry point into the favelas is a tiny doorway on the south side of the lot that leads into the structure. I recommend you use Blitz to clear it out." Said I.Q.

"Roger that I.Q. Will do. Good work." Said Kirov. I.Q. flipped her Microphone to mute her voice and sat back in her chair. As Natalya was analyzing satellite images on her laptop.

"What do you think of Elias?" Asked Natalya to I.Q. She was surprised by the random question at such a time.

"Blitz? Why?" Asked I.Q.

"I just am curious is all." Responded Natalya.

"He's a good man and a damn good soldier." Replied I.Q.

"I think you have it backwards, He is a good soldier and a damn good man if you ask me." Said Natalya.

"Why are we even discussing this?" Said I.Q. in an annoyed tone.

"I just want to see if you truly appreciate what Elias has done for this Team. Next to Kirov, he is the most instrumental part of keeping this team together. I just wanted to see if you agreed." Said Natalya.

"I wouldn't say any one person is responsible for our success. We all work together and we work together damn well. There was a time when Blitz was injured badly and we had to work as a team without him… Rather recently actually." Said I.Q.

"I just feel that you aren't giving him the credit he deserves…" Rebutted Natalya

"How long have you been here Natalya?! A couple days, a week max? How would you know what makes this team work best. I have been here since Team Rainbow was first reactivated and have gone through everything, EVERYTHING that has plagued this team. I've seen my best friend nearly die along with countless other people I care about and then some. I understand that he saved your life alright but he also saved mine…" Ranted I.Q.

"I'm sorry... I overstepped my authority… I also didn't know that Blitz saved your life too. Tell me about it." Replied Natalya in an apologetic tone. I.Q. felt the sorrow begin to swallow here from that fateful day at Bartlett University.

"It was our first live operation as Team Rainbow. Have you heard of the Siege of Bartlett University?" Asked I.Q.

"I had… I didn't know that was team rainbow. But it does make sense now that you say it. That was also a spectacular victory. I don't think anyone saw it coming. All of the bombs were diffused and civilian casualties were at a minimum, I don't think there is a better example of what Team Rainbow is capable of when it's in its prime." Said Natalya. I.Q. took pride in the comment.

"Yes… well, I was charged by a terrorist… I don't even know how he was alive he practically was holding his own guts in his hands. But this terrorist wasn't ordinary. He had a bomb vest and was planning on killing me with a suicide attack. And he would have done it too if it weren't for Elias. He gave up his shield and placed it over my body it saved me from practically all of the explosion but left him exposed and he took a large and very lethal amount of shrapnel into his body." Said I.Q.

"That's awful. But then again that is what Blitz seems to do best…" Said Natalya.

"What? I don't understand." Replied I.Q.

"Blitz seems to be the best at sacrificing himself for others. And not taking credit…" Said Natalya. I.Q. smirked.

"That he does. Most certainly." Agreed I.Q. Suddenly the Comm light lit up.

"Eagle base I have scouted out the insertion point and am ready to proceed with the operation." Said, Blitz.

"Roger that we have eyes." Said I.Q. Team rainbow pushed into the objective lining one behind the other like a freight train with Blitz on point and Thermite at the back covering their flank.

"Commander Remind me again why you are on the ground with us? This is honestly a terrible idea." Said Blitz to Kirov.

"You just worry about yourself. I spent more time in combat than anyone here and I'll be damned If I can't shoot a rifle. Plus I need to meet this Captain myself to ensure proper extraction of information." Said Kirov as he cocked back his M16.

"Alright, yes sir!" Said, Blitz as he got pumped from what he perceived as the Commander's insanity. The team continued on their way before Kirov signaled a stop.

"Hold up!" Said Kirov

"Come in Eagle base." Spoke Kirov in a firm tone.

"Roger commander, we have multiple foot bound personnel moving onto your position. They appear to be Favela civilians but are armed. I recommend we don't take any risks. Fire on sight." Said I.Q.

"That's Bold I.Q. but we can't go killing civilians on sight. Even if they are armed. We need to pacify them if possible." Said Kirov.

"Roger that Commander." Said I.Q.

"Lock and load boys we are going to negotiate with the first tango we see but I would anticipate a firefight." Said Kirov.

"But Commander we are unarmed!" Said Jack

"Then take cover somewhere! I don't have to tell you!" Said Kirov. Jack and Miles quickly ran behind an old sofa and kept their heads down. Miles couldn't help but pull out his heart beat scanner to try to detect the tangos. He swept through the walls and saw, in all directions a startling number of heartbeats. They were surrounded.

"Commander…" Said Jack.

"Yes, Jack?" Asked Kirov.

"They are coming in hot." Replied Jack. The commander had all but a second to ponder the meaning of the warning before he was opened fire on. Blitz and Fuze where cutting through the favelin militia from the front but there was still a rear to cover.

"Watch our six!" Shouted Kirov to Thermite. The two men then began firing rounds down the doorway in which they came. They were cutting through the tangos in astonishing numbers. But were also getting hairs trimmed from their heads from all of the near misses that passed them. As the last of the soldiers came and fell the team evaluated their situation. No one was injured... yet, they had neutralized 10 plus tangos clearly the situation was tipped into the advantage of the more strategic and skilled Rainbow Team. What disturbed the soldiers was the Militants that attacked them. They were extremely young black men. Meer civilians wearing shorts and tee shirts. Not soldiers. It brought comfort to the commander that none of the casualties were kids but he knew this situation before and knew that killing a kid could have to happen. But still, he prayed against it.

"Jack where do we go!" shouted Kirov. Jack scanned the room with his Cardiac sensor and came to the conclusion that there was an extremely large force of tangos approaching. They needed to move or they would be overwhelmed. He knew where they needed to go and rather than going up the stairs into the horde of enemies and back down. They needed to go straight through the wall.

"We need to get to the other side of this wall!" Jack said as he pointed towards the wall closest to him.

"Understood. Thermite get that wall open!" Shouted Kirov to Thermite.

"Wait! There is a Shit ton of enemies on the other side. We should find a safe place to pick them off or some sort of cover." Said Jack.

"No need…" Said Fuze as he approached the wall. He then proceeded to pull out his Cluster Charge Explosive and plant it into the wall. With the pull of a pin, his gadget penetrated through the wall. There were sounds of confusion on the other side as the militia tried to understand what the device was. Fuze activated his switch and the sound of grenades being deployed was heard. The device he plugged into the wall had shot explosive pucks on the opposite side. The sounds of screams were heard but were quickly outweighed by the shrieks of the explosive devices. Once silence was regained Thermite approached the wall and deployed his Exothermic charge. Then he activated it and watched as the sparks flew. When the hole in the wall was exposed, the team quickly proceeded into the other room. The sudden switch from room to room would surely confuse the militia and buy them some precious time. As they stepped over the rubble of the wall they saw dead bodies. At least 5 of them. Killed from the cluster charge Fuze deployed.

 _'Thank god I did not kill any children'_ Fuze thought to himself

"I see what you mean now…" Said Thermite. As they approached the second door Jack took a step in front of the group and spoke.

"This is it. This is where the Captain resides…" The door was massive and made of solid steel clearly it was taken off of a bank vault or something similar. It would be impenetrable if not for Thermite. He pulled out his second Exothermic charge and applied it to the wall.

"Waiting on you commander." Said Thermite. Kirov looked to Jack.

"What does that sensor tell you?" Asked Kirov to Jack.

"There are three tangos in that room. It is likely two guards and then the captain himself." Said Jack.

"Understood. Thermite after that hole is opened you will stand behind Blitz and you two will move up while the rest of us support from cover. We need to be very delicate right now because if we kill the Captain this operation will be a failure. Blitz will be responsible for incapacitating anyone in the room and Thermite will neutralize anyone who is not the captain." Said Kirov.

"You will know the captain by his eye patch and his large Military Commando Cap. If there is more than one person who looks like that… We might be in trouble." Said Jack. The group readied themselves for the plan and got into position.

"Let's do this… Three… two… one… Go!" Shouted Kirov. As the last word left his lips, Thermite let a rip of his Exothermic Charge. It tore through the reinforced door with ease. As the last of the sparks flew the explosion it seemed was more violent than usual. But it did the trick and they had a clear path into the room.

"Ready? Ready?" Asked Blitz as he approached the door.

"Ready. Ready." Responded Thermite and he took hold of Blitz's shoulder and took cover behind him. They proceeded into the room. There was a man that could only be assumed to be the captain because he wore the eye patch and cap that Jack had spoken of. He heard the supposed Captain Speak.

"Mate os bastardos (Kill the Bastards)!"

Along with him was two other soldiers they were much better equipped than the other Black militants wearing tee shirts and shorts, as they had on military vests and boots. But they were nowhere near as equipped as The Captain who had on a full Black Tactical Vest and boots. Loaded with various magazines and an array of grenades. He had an assault rifle in his hands and was pointing at Blitz along with his other two men. They had not yet met Blitz, however. _"SHATTER"_ One burst from his shield and the whole room was grabbing their eyes and trying to get their balance. Thermite then took up his rifle and with two clean shots killed the two soldiers and left alone the perceived Captain. When the captain regained his sight he reached to aim his rifle but got Blitz's shield in his chest it sent the Captain to the floor. And his rifle flew to the other side of the room. When he caught his breath again he spoke.

"guardas inúteis… (Useless guards.) I should have sent more men rather than assuming you would go down easy… Now it's too late."

"Are you Capitão?" Asked Kirov as he walked into the room.

"Sim (Yes) I am… Now, what do you invaders desire from the Captain? I mean I do assume that is what you are here for… Or did you just want to toy with me before I perish?" Asked Capitão.

"We know that you have a business that offers illegal services to any person or group as long as they give you the right reward…" Said Kirov.

"Yes I know, why…?" Said Capitão.

"I know I should understand by now but I just am that curious… Why would you harm the world to such an extreme just for money?" Asked Kirov.

"Because it's for another good…" Said Capitão.

"And what could that be? What could that possibly be? You know that you are personally responsible for thousands of deaths across the globe?" Said Kirov.

"Yes, but I did it for my land!" Rebutted Capitão.

"How… How?" Asked Kirov Skeptically.

"I know that my work has some negative effects on the world." Said Capitão

"Yeah, some…" Interrupted Kirov.

"But it's nothing when you compare it to what I've done to Brazil! With the funds, I produced with my business and believe me there was a lot. I was able to build hundreds of schools, houses, and churches, feed thousands of children and get them clothed and educated. And am currently providing more money for healthcare than the damn Government!… Everything I did was for Brazil… So think of that before you try to compare me to a cold-hearted terrorist." Said Capitão. The group was astonished to hear.

"Explain your soldiers then!" Demanded Thermite.

"What about them…? They are clothed and armed! They volunteer to fight in the Militia I don't force them." Replied Capitão.

"Do you use children?" Asked Blitz.

"No… God no! Absolutely no one under 18 in the Militia." Responded Capitão. The sounds of voices and footsteps were heard echoing in the other room.

"Now tell me what you want before my men come here and kill you." Said Capitão.

"We need all the Information you can give us on the White Masks." Said Kirov.

"And why should I tell you this…? Does it affect me in any way?" Asked Capitão.

"Yes, it does and let me explain to you why. When my team was first organized we were reactivated to combat the growing threat of the White Masks they are an extremely powerful militarized force and are indiscriminate of Age, Religion or Nationality. If they told you they would leave Brazil alone they were lying. So far they have launched attacks on the United States, Greenland, England, Norway, and Russia. What makes you think they would stop their reign of terror…" As the last word left Kirov's mouth the group was startled to see Militants. At least a hundred of them filling every window, stairwell, and doorway, that surrounds them. They were caught between a rock in hard place. Capitão signaled for the soldiers to hold their fire and lower their weapons.

"mas capitão!? (but captain!?)" Shouted one of the men.

"Abaixe suas armas. Faça como eu digo. (Lower your weapons. Do as I say.)" Responded Capitão.

"You want information from me… fine. But there needs to be one thing in exchange…" Said Capitão.

"And that is?" Asked Kirov.

"Your organization works personally to stop terrorism in my country." Replied Capitão.

"We try to stop terrorism in every country." Said Kirov.

"I want you to ensure me that terrorism will end… No more bloodshed of the innocent people of Brazil." Said Capitão.

"Alright but I also want one thing from you." Said Kirov.

"Besides the information? What could you possibly want?" Asked Capitão.

"I see a lot of myself when I look at you. You once served your country just like me. While clearly, you have the skills of a warrior you have something else… An additional sense that makes you a great leader. I can see it in the way you control all of these common rabble men and turn them into warriors. We need someone like you… Join us. Join with Team Rainbow."

"What?!" Said every man on Team Rainbow.

"Commander you cannot be serious?!" Said Thermite.

"I am very serious." Said Kirov.

"If you join us you can help personally stop the greatest threat to your country and earn my organization's support of your country." Pitched Kirov. Capitão thought the offer over, he could not believe how good of a deal had been presented to him. An end to terrorism in his land alone seemed enticing, and while he loved his land he also missed his days in combat and would love to take the fight to his enemies directly. Capitão waves over a soldier from the group. He was an older man, with a sturdy frame and a face that resembled that of Capitão.

"Victor… My son. You told me the other day how you are ready for the next step of your training. Well, this is it. You are now the Captain of this Militia and must continue improving our country. I am putting this duty upon you." Capitão then took off his military cap and placed it on that of his son. It seemed that the entire room was locked into a jaw-dropping state. Kirov had just done something that left the entire room speechless.

"Father… Are you sure? These strangers just showed up and killed some of our men and Now you are joining them!" Said Victor.

"These things are not as simple as they seem my son. You will understand one day… One day."

"So you are in?" Asked Kirov. Capitão smiled before responding.

"Yes… I will join you… for the future of my country. But do not double cross me Commander"

"Never." Said Kirov.


	20. Welcome to the Jungle

**CHAPTER 20: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE**

 **March 5, 2016**

 **Somewhere over Northern Brazil, "The Amazon"**

 **1600**

"Boneyard…? What in the world is that?" Asked Kirov to Capitão as they sat in the Team Rainbow Chopper that zoomed through the thick air over the jungle.

"It's the location that the ambassador. York told me about." Responded Capitão.

"Yes, I have met York before once. He held up one of my men as a hostage." Said Kirov.

"Brutal. I have not yet heard of these atrocities that the White Masks have done. I can only hope to reconcile for the damage I have done." Said Capitão.

"And you are doing that right now by helping us. Now tell me more about the boneyard." Said Kirov.

"It is one of their largest compounds. It serves as their main Headquarters in the Middle East. Without it, their reach in the Middle East and their connection to the other terrorist organizations will be massively crippled. It also serves another purpose, however. Intelligence gathering. They steal the technical garbage from the United States and U.K. and search through it. You would be surprised at the intel they gather. I suspect this is one of the reasons why the White Masks always seem to have the upper hand." Responded Capitão.

"That can't be good for them to have that capability." Said Kirov.

"The only problem is I do not know its exact location. I'm told it's very isolated and very few people even know of its existence." Said Capitão.

"Interesting what else do you know…?" Asked Kirov. As the two men discussed the White Masks, the pilot was flipping switches and noticed a strange reading. There was an unidentified object approaching. The pilot was at first confused but quickly realized what it was. As he lunged for the large button that releases the thermal flairs he found that he was a moment too late. The missile hit the tail of the chopper and completely destroyed the tail propeller. The pilot had no choice but to try to do an emergency landing. He was prepared for the situation but was not prepared to land in a jungle where there are not clearings in sight.

"Where the hell did that missile come from?!" Screamed Kirov.

"The White Masks they must have gotten a tip off. They are trying to cut the head off of Rainbow!" Shouted Capitão. Kirov looked out of the side of the chopper looking for where the missile must have come from. He could not make anything out because the chopper was spinning far too fast.

"Buckle up… We are coming in Hot!" Shouted the Pilot. As the team prepared for the crash I.Q. called over their headsets.

"Commander! What's happening?!"

"We are going down… I repeat Eagle base we are going down!" Said Kirov.

"No… Oh my god…" Whispered I.Q.

The chopper continued on its descent to the ground but was relatively smooth as the pilot was keeping it in control. That all changed once they hit the tree line. The chopper began to shake violently and bounce through the trees, it crashed through a few small trees but was stopped entirely by a much larger tree. The front half of the chopper separated from the back and only the shattering of glass and screams of terror could be heard. _"BLACK."_

"Commander! Commander do you hear me!?" Shouted I.Q. over the comms. All she heard in response was the blank static of a deadline.

As the team began to awake and regain their bearings they looked for each other. Kirov stood up to his feet and walked over to the fuselage of the plane. He saw Jack already on his feet gathering himself.

"You good Jack?" Asked Kirov.

"Yes, sir." Said Jack to Kirov. Jack felt on his person for his cardiac scanner and could not find it. It must have flown out during the crash. As he leaned back against the chopper he spotted the scanner lying on the ground no further than 10 feet away. He walked over to it and opened the screen to examine. He saw that the screen was cracked and was barely working.

 _"Dammit, there goes my 'weapon'…"_ Thought Jack to himself. Kirov continued walking and found Blitz, Miles, and Capitão standing close to each other.

"You guys good?" Asked Kirov.

"Yeah for the most part… We can't find Jordan or the pilot, though." Said Blitz

"Do you have your shield Blitz?" Asked Kirov.

"No It escaped my grasp during the crash and I don't know where it went." Said, Blitz.

"What do we have for weapons?" Questioned Kirov.

"We lost almost everything only Capitão still has his rifle. But I still have my Pistol." Said, Blitz. Kirov realized that he too lost his rifle.

"Thermite and the pilot are probably in the other half of the fuselage." Said Kirov.

"There is another half?" Asked Blitz.

"We got split in two during the crash the other half is only a stone's throw away from here." Said Capitão. The group began to walk over to through some of the broken trees and found what almost looked like a clearing. But it was no more than the crash site of the other half of the chopper. Quickly the men surrounded the chopper and looked around. They found a dead pilot inside but no Jordan Trace.

"Jordan? Jordan!? Where are you!?" Screamed Blitz.

"I'm over here…" spoke Thermite in an extremely weak tone. Blitz looked over to see a long blood trail leading to a log where Thermite was resting his head. He had a massive piece of metal impaling his torso and blood leaking out.

"Oh my god! Jordan!" Said, Blitz as he ran over to Thermite.

"Elias… _cough, cough_... you survived you sly bastard…" Said Thermite.

"Jordan you are alive. You are going to be fine. We'll get you out of here…" Said Blitz, he then gently lifted on Thermites arm to pull him off the log.

"AHH!..." Screamed Thermite as the pain was excruciating. Blitz sat Thermite back down on the log and called over.

"Guys I found Him! He's hurt!" The rest of Team Rainbow ran over to the wounded Blitz. As they began to talk to him, Blitz walked a short distance away.

"Commander… come here please." Said Blitz. Kirov left Thermite's side and approached Blitz.

"What is it, Elias?" Asked Kirov.

"It's Jordan… He's in rough shape. I had a similar injury to his back at Bartlett, I was immediately brought to medical attention and still almost died… He has a much more serious wound. The shrapnel in him is much larger, and we are miles from a hospital. I think he might die." Said, Blitz.

"We cannot give up on him." Said Kirov.

"Of course not. That's not at all what I am suggesting. I simply think we shouldn't get our hopes up." Said, Blitz. As Kirov began to walk away Blitz called over to him once again.

"There is another problem too." Kirov looked over with confusion.

 _"What more could possibly be wrong with the situation?"_ Kirov thought to himself.

"We need to move out. Soon. We are sitting ducks in this position. If the White Masks were the ones who shot us down I'd bet they are coming to the crash site to finish us off. And Jordan is in no condition to move out. I tried to just a moment ago." Said, Blitz.

"What are you suggesting?" Asked Kirov. Blitz frowned and hesitantly responded

"We… We send Jordan out with a Bang. We end his misery." The response sent cold chills down the Commanders spine. To kill one of his own men. The question seemed insane.

"No… No, I won't do it… I won't kill him. How could you! HOW COULD YOU EVEN SUGGEST THE THOUGHT!" Screamed Kirov to Blitz.

"I'm sorry sir, it just seems to me that the odds aren't in our favor…" Replied Blitz.

"Get out of my sight." Said Kirov.

"But Commander!?" Asked Blitz.

"I will make you a deal Elias, you get out of my face and we never discuss this again. I will never tell a soul you suggested it." Said Kirov.

"...Yes, sir…" Said, Blitz as he walked away. Kirov walked over to where Capitão and Miles were standing right over Thermite.

"How are you feeling soldier?" Asked Kirov.

"Fine… Fine really." Said Thermite in a weak voice.

"Really you feel fine. That's what you are telling me." Said Kirov in an unamused tone.

"Okay, maybe not but I'm holding on alright. I just need to get this metal out of me…" Said Thermite. Kirov walked away rubbing his forehead and thought of what to do. Capitão walked over to Kirov and proceeded to speak.

"Commander I know how we can save Thermite." Kirov felt his spirits lift and responded.

"Finally some good news. Lay it on me."

"Well we can remove the main shrapnel and patch it up with the medical supplies on the chopper but there's one issue." Said Capitão.

"And that is?" Asked Kirov.

"The shrapnel has pierced a particularly fragile portion of his body, it has intercepted his spinal column if I am to remove this metal, which I most likely will have to, it could cause serious damage." Said Capitão.

"I understand... give me some time to think. I need to collect myself." Replied Kirov. Capitão inhaled intently.

"You do that sir but I will need a command, Sooner rather than later."

* * *

 **Date Unknown**

 **High in one of the Skyscrapers of Tokyo, Japan**

 **Time Unknown**

"You called for me Sir." Said a small man. The man was short and thin but had on a fine suit and slicked back hair, With glasses. Clearly, he was a businessman of some sort. The room was small but artistically designed. It had colorful traditional Japanese Paintings. The walls were also painted in a very detailed and gorgeous manner. The image of a koi pond was drawn on the wall along with many other things. There was a large yet fine wooden table in the center of the room that the man was sitting behind. Although the room was lively the conversation was not.

"Yes Ren, I called you here to discuss the matters we had not yet finished yesterday." Said another man. Although the other man was much Taller and had a much more muscular build he was still only ordinarily sized, and was the same white skin tone and slick black hair.

"Have you came to a decision on the purchase?" Asked Ren.

"Yes, I have… I want you to pull the trigger on this…" Said the other man.

"I need to ask again are you absolutely sure about this?" Asked Ren again.

"Positive… This needs to happen. For my Daughter." Said the man. Ren smiled and placed a small briefcase onto the large desk and opened its latches to expose a document and pen.

"All I need is your signature and... I can take care of the rest." Said Ren. The man grabbed the pen and hesitantly signed his name on the blank line at the bottom of the paper.

"Thank you for your business." Said Ren in a delighted tone. As he was leaving the room the other man spoke up.

"Wait!… You promise me this will work?" Said the man. Ren's smile turned to a plain and serious expression. He then spoke his last words before leaving the room.

"These are the finest soldiers money can buy. I promise you nothing less than success. And once again thank you for your custom Master Tsang."


	21. Fight or Flight

**CHAPTER 21: FIGHT OR FLIGHT**

 **March 6, 2016**

 **Somewhere in "The Amazon"**

 **2100**

The commander had finally finished his contemplation when he turned and began walking towards the crash site. KIrov was becoming increasingly attached to his men and had feared the day that he would have to make a life changing decision for one of them.

"Well Commander?" Asked Capitao "What is our course of action?" Kirov scratched the back of head and meekly spoke.

"Do it." Kirov said. Capitao smiled at the fact that he could finally proceed with the plan, his smiled quickly turned to a blank expression as he cracked his knuckles.

"Elias! Miles! I need your help with something." Capitao said. The two soldiers walked over.

"What do you need?" Asked Miles as he played with a piece of metal from the crashed chopper. Elias looked very unimpressed by the request.

"I need you to very carefully pick up Jordan and bring him over here. We need a lot of room to work so I will also ask that you involve Jack and get him to clean up this area of any debris."

"What are you doing exactly?" Asked Miles.

"I'm going to pull the metal out of Jordan, and save his life." Said Capitao. "But I cannot do it alone, I have to have your help on this or he is as good as dead, I'll handle the surgery but I need you on standby if I need assistance, that includes surgical tools, or bandages. Got it?"

"Understood." Said Miles. Miles started walk away as Elias moved closer to Capitao. Capitao was reading the information on the back of an IV bag when Elias spoke up.

"Captain… do you honestly think that you can save Jordan's life?" Elias asked.

"Indeed I do, but the question remains do you think we can save him?" Asked Capitao back to Elias.

"I've seen things like this happen to other men, my brothers on the battlefield. Things far worse than this in fact. But where it hit him. Dead in his spine, he is likely going to suffer some permanent injuries that may impair him from more than being a soldier for the rest of his life… do you understand me?" Said Elias. Capitao looked up at Elias with a bothered expression.

"Elias what would you have me do? Allow this man to simply bleed to death? Here in the Amazon?"

"There are some fates worse than death, don't you think Captain?"

"Fortunately, Elias, that is not your decision to make." Capitao turned from Elias and continued to put together his set of implements. Although Elias was not happy he was obligated to his orders, and as a result he worked with Miles to carry Jordan over and placed him down onto a large sheet of metal from the crash site that was lugged to Capitao's requested location. As the soldiers prepared for a life or death operation to commence on Jordan something was stirring in the jungle.

 **2 Hours Later**

"Alright hand me some more gauze Jack." Said Capitao. "After we get this last shard out Jordan we can sew him up and pray to god. Jack handed the bandages to Capitao. Jordan Trace laid unconscious on the metal barrier placed between him and the ground, a combination of his own bleeding and the pain of the surgery put him under.

"Alright… done!" Said Capitao. "Hand me the needle and thread!" Said Capitao in a gleeful tone. Meanwhile as Capitao spoke Elias found himself wandering over to the crashed fuselage of the chopper. The man was greeted by a placid Fuze, who was leaning against the side of the fuselage. His cluster charge in hand. Fuze was precariously plucking wires from his device and attaching them onto separate parts of the contraption.

"What are you up to." Asked Elias blankly. Fuze looked up at Elias briefly then persisted in working on his cluster charge.

"I'm trying to rewire this things activation sequence so it will actually work, They got banged up pretty good in the crash" Replied Fuze.

"I wouldn't worry about it man, you can probably just get another one when we get to base anyways." Said Elias.

"That's if we get back to base." Replied Fuze.

"What do you mean." Asked Elias. Fuze turned his head to look for any other operatives that may be passing by.

"What I mean is that something deliberately shot us out of the sky, and they obviously really want us dead if they knew where to find us, they must have pulled out all of their assets in order to find us over the middle of nowhere."

"So…?" Said Elias.

"So… what I'm saying is whoever they are, Whitemasks or not, they want us dead. And they likely are going to try and find our crash site so they can confirm their kills, I don't know how we are going to get out of here but I know we are going to need to defend ourselves somehow." Said Fuze. Elias' eyes widened.

"Fuze if our position is compromised you need to inform the commander right now! This is the kind of stuff we have to work out together." Said Elias.

"Yes, and I will in due time. The reason I haven't said anything yet was I did not want to do anything to risk Jordan's operation, whether that be us moving Jordan prematurely or simply by worrying Capitao." Replied Fuze. "Besides I shouldn't be the only one who made the observation that we are wounded prey, ripe for the kill." Elias walked over to the area where Jordan was getting his wound patched by Capitao and was having his clothes be put on by Miles. Elias moved up to Kirov who was halfway asleep sitting on a log.

"Commander we need to talk." Said Elias.

"I don't have anything to say to you right now." Said Kirov despairingly.

"No this is serious Commander, I think our position is compromised." Said Elias. Kirov reacted with a jolt upward from his sitting position.

"What? What are you talking about Elias, we are alone in the middle of the jungle, there's no danger here." Replied Kirov.

"Commander! Snap out of it! Your decisions are irrational right now, likely due to your lack of sleep but you need to get us out of here! It's not safe to stay!" Kirov realized the error of his ways.

"You're right… how could I assume this position is clear, even if we are in the middle of seemingly nowhere. A jungle may be difficult to maneuver and track someone down in, but that just reflects the skill and danger of the predator it houses." Said Kirov, the man now making direct eye contact with Elias. "Elias gather the others and bring them here, we are going to make a plan."

"May I ask what that plan is?" Asked Elias.

"We can't run in this jungle… No we will be swallowed alive." Said Kirov.

"If we don't run then what?"

"We use our environment to our advantage, they are likely expecting a broken vessel full of corpses yes, so their guard will be down… We will punish them for their arrogance, if this place truly is to be our grave then we shall make room for others."

 **DATE UNKNOWN:**

 **The "Crash Site"**

 **TIME UNKNOWN:**

"We are getting closer I can feel it." Said one man to another. Both men were soldiers clad in black military padding with ammunition vests and assault rifles. Behind the soldiers was another group of five soldiers, each one bearing a weapon and a mission to kill on sight.

"You don't get feelings Raul, you simply smell the burning of the chopper, same as me." Said the other man.

"Yeah whatever, point is we need to fan out and get our men into their search parties to look for any survivors." Said the other man.

"How many are we looking for again?" Said Raul.

"HQ tells us 6." Said the other man.

"Ha ha, ironic isn't it." Said Raul.

"Is what ironic?" Asked the other man.

"It's ironic that there are "six" of them, and they call themselves "Rainbow six" kind of funny huh?" Said Raul.

"Shut the fuck up Raul." Said the first man. As the soldiers approached the crash site they were greeted by a horrible odor originating from the fuselage.

"Ugh, what the fuck is that smell?" Asked Raul.

"That's the smell of death my friend, I wouldn't be surprised if they all died and are burnt up by now." Said the other man.

"That's disgusting but we still got a job to do." Raul picked up his radio and spoke.

"Split into squad one and two, I doubt we will run into any trouble. One take the front with me. Two take the rear with Raul."

"Roger." Said one man on the radio.

"Roger that!" Said another man. The soldiers felt ready and confident, rifles placed in their hands, and triggers at the ready, they held their weapons proudly, as to insinuate they had already won the battle. As the first squad neared the chopper the lead man held up a hand signal to halt the movement of the troops behind him. He carefully looked over to the second squad which was also beginning their movement on the crash site. After a quick and careful exchange of hand signals between Raul and the lead man, the first squad moved towards the chopper while the second squad hung back. The lead man of the first group stumbled into the passenger area of the chopper, followed by his men, where he saw a large black tarp laid out on the ground. The tarp appeared to be concealing a couple of large, and long objects. " _Likely a few of the bodies"_ The man thought to himself. He delicately moved towards the object, as he got closer he quickly jabbed the tip of his rifle into the bags to see if it was alive. He sensed no motion and then softly grabbed onto the edge of the sheet. With his weapon, and his other men at the ready he gave a quick silent count and pulled the tarp away to expose the hidden objects. He found only a few large pieces of debris and torn military documents. The man picked up his radio and spoke.

"Command this is team Pelican, no sign of the targets, likely took off on foot…" Said the lead man. As he began to speak he was surprised by the delicate and distinct clicking of explosive cluster charge pucks hitting the ground. He turned his head to see that while he was fixed on the debris a large hole lied above his head that was home to one of Fuzes cluster charges. The crashed chopper was filled with fire within seconds and the entirety of the first squad went along with it. Five men killed instantly. The leader of the second squad, Raul was horrified by what he saw. He began stumbling and then went on to run towards the crash site.

"Charge!" He screamed as he ran into battle throwing caution to the wind. Raul's men were wary of the danger they were in but had no choice other than to follow their commanding officer. Just as soon as Raul reached the crash site however, he was gunned down. None other than Kirov stood a few feet away with a pistol in his hand. Raul felt three rounds soar through his chest before he collapsed onto the ground. Before his men could react however, Capitao used his rifle and his intrepid will to kill the other two men. Using the last of his ammo, he found that one of the soldiers had collapsed but was not yet dead. He walked closer to the man. His chest was bleeding excessively, but Capitao felt confident and thrilled that he could save the man, and use him as an informant.

"I can see that my aim is getting rusty, but atleast we get you as a prize… Now don't bleed out on us, we are going to have to get to know each other first." The man looked horrified but was in too much pain to even move. All he could do was lay on the ground and grone from the pain in his abdomen. Kirov walked closer to Raul and pulled his jacket away from the center of his chest, he searched the man's pockets to look for anything revealing his origins but found only one thing. A small business card that read "White Pelican".

"Hmmm…" Kirov mumbled to himself as he thought.

"You find anything commander?" Asked Capitao. Kirov shrugged his shoulder as he tucked the card away into his pocket. A few seconds later Kirov was pleasantly surprised to see the small radio on the man's chest was still functioning and took minimal damage in the firefight.

"Pelican are you there! Hello! Pelican!" Said a man into the radio. Kirov grasped the radio with his hand. The other men looked at him inquisitively. Kirov's emotions took a drastic change, he went from that of calculated and defensive to that of intense rage and emotion in mere seconds. His glare revealing the extent of his fury with the circumstances that had been presented to him throughout all his time with Team Rainbow.

"Pelican isn't there, they are dead… And you are too… You're dead and you don't even realize it yet." Said Kirov.

"Kirov what are you doing?" Said Capitao worryingly.

"What the… Pelican is that you? Hello? We can't get anyone out to you yet but…" Replied the man.

"Did you not HEAR ME the first time!" Demanded Kirov into the radio. He was greeted with no response. Kirov grew tired of meddling with the man on the radio and instead changed the frequency to one that he knew well.

"Hello IQ are you there." Said Kirov.

"Commander is that you!" Said IQ excitingly.

"Yes it's us, we need immediate exfil, we've been through a lot lately…" Said Elias.

"Yes sir, can you get us a position?" Asked IQ. Kirov looked over to his men and opened up his palms to signal to his men to assist in the inquiry. Elias walked closer to the commander with a small watch. The watch was on the wrist of one the enemy soldiers and had gps capabilities. Kirov let out a sigh of relief and spoke.

"Yes I've got our coordinates here, get to us as soon as you can."


	22. Back to Business

**CHAPTER 22: BACK TO BUSINESS**

 **March 13, 2016**

 **Hereford Base, England**

 **1200**

The soldiers of Team Rainbow had received a wakeup call the past few days. The call was that the world they surround themselves in is not as safe as they think. No matter how many governments, militaries, or organizations form alliances with the team of warriors, out on the battlefield, it will do nothing to save them. The only thing that can protect them is themselves, and their fellow operators. The operators of Team Rainbow truly were taught a lesson, but it would only prove to make them stronger. Elias walked towards the exit of the infirmary tent. He had gotten used to spending his days at Jordan's side as he recovered from his operation. The extreme nature of his injuries and the very poor conditions upon which he was surgically operated on put him at severe risk of death. While Capitao succeeded in saving Jordan from bleeding out he did not save him from every other danger that can haunt a man after an injury of that caliber. Jordan was unconscious and had been made unconscious medicinally to allow him to escape the pain of his injuries but the field medics suggest that he needed to be moved to a professional medical facility in order to properly treat him. The thought scared Eliza the most, who had already experienced the most intense emotional strife caused by Jordan's injury than anyone else on Team Rainbow. It scared her because she felt that Jordan would simply never wake up, or worse that he would be better off dead than living a life with the injuries he has surely developed. Eventually she submitted, after many long talks with Kirov and cups of tea with Monika, Jordan was taken to the medical facility closest to Hereford base so that he could be carefully treated. Eliza was heartbroken but knew she had to put her emotions aside for the mission she was surely about to embark upon. Truly it was time to get back to business. Kirov sat at the end of a table with a pistol on his lap. The rest of the room was filled with the various operators he had recruited. Kirov's face was serious glare.

"If I offered you a choice, a choice to live in peril and fear of a serpent that always knows where you are and what your next step will be… Or, take the fight to them and cut off the head of the snake that allows it to feed… which would you take?"

"What…?" Asked Elias.

"What I'm saying… is that the way things have been going is not bad luck, the White Masks are finding out things about us that they shouldn't… I don't believe there is a spy among us so that means one thing." Said Kirov.

"And that is?" Asked Seamus.

"Based on recently gathered intel we have reason to believe that the white masks have an intel reconnaissance facility somewhere in the middle east. It is likely that they have found a way to infiltrate our data banks back at the pentagon and have been using it to undercut us every step of the way. This is also likely how they perform most of their operations based on what they have done assaulting the military facility in Arlington, the assault and capture of a Joint Task Force member, the death of George Ragsten and the acquisition of operation Blackwinter, the assault on Kafe Dostoyevsky. Along with any number of other atrocities."

"What about the assault on Bartlett?" Asked Elias.

"We have no intel on Bartlett that would be essential for an armed assault, so that attack was likely plotted out by the Whitemasks on their own. And it shows, it may have succeeded as a message for their cause but we also succeeded in neutralizing them where they stood. They simply cannot compare to Team Rainbow without breaking the rules." Replied Kirov.

"There are no rules for terrorists commander." Said Seamus.

"While that is true I always would like to point out one thing commander, that was before the birth of the Black Daggers… We should not underestimate them… Not until our blades are put to their hearts." Said Elias in a serious tone. The rest of the room sat in silence and awe. Clearly Elias and Kirov had felt a change in attitude after their time in the jungle, almost as if their mission had shifted from freeing the world to killing all Whitemasks in sight.

"That's all well and good but let's not lose focus, are you plotting out an assault commander?" Asked Giles. Kirov looked to Giles and spoke.

"What we are doing Montagne, is starting our search for the Whitemask facility known as "The Boneyard". Intel from Capitao has revealed its existence but unfortunately for us the work of actually finding its location belongs to us."

"Where do we start?" Asked Seamus.

"It is to our belief that the location we are looking for is somewhere in the middle east. We don't have any other details besides that but we are likely looking for a position that has easy access to multiple settlements or lots of people, as we think they may have a recruiting station there." Said Kirov. "Now we have outsourced a team to get to work on finding its position and it will likely take some time but I want everyone to get started on mission preparation now. We will never know when this thing will kick off."

"Does that mean we're starting our PT courses?" Asked Elias.

"Indeed it does." Replied Kirov. Many of the soldiers groaned, Elias among them. It felt as though the members of rainbow would never get the rest they so sorely needed, and Kirov's new aggression towards the Whitemasks would only push it further. As Kirov pulled the tent flap away and proceeded to walk out he was met by Elias grabbing his arm.

"Commander can we talk in private?" Asked Elias. Kirov nodded in agreement and the two soldiers walked a short distance away from the tent away from any possible eavesdroppers.

"Commander I need to know something." Said Elias.

"And that is?" Asked Kirov.

"Where do you get these command decisions from?" Spoke Elias bluntly. Kirov appeared astonished.

"What are you trying to say soldier." Said Kirov in an authoritative tone.

"First you capture two mercenaries who committed terrorist acts in Russia, and what do you do you bring them along with us on a high priority mission! Hell you practically put them on our team! Next you find some low life Brazilian scum who sells government secrets for a living and you also recruit him? Better yet how do we know these people won't just turn on us? I mean for God's sake the man just turned over command of his entire militia just because you asked him to… There's something up here commander, either your decisions are very misguided… or you have something that you're hiding from us…" Said Elias.

"What could I possibly hide from you?" Said Kirov in a quiet tone.

"You must know these men from somewhere, this can't be the first time you have met them… And you have some sort of ulterior motive for all of this…" Accused Elias. Kirov's face went from that of confusion to the look that a man gives to his worst enemy.

"You don't know what I have been through Elias, through my years as a soldier. And I don't want you to even try and understand. There are somethings about me that you will just never know. I can see now where your mind truly rests in terms of this team and our mission. I can promise you no matter how hard you look, no matter how many stones you turn over… you will never learn anything about me to compromise my position as commander… And do you know why?" Elias was horrified by the question.

"Why commander…?" Kirov looked to Elias and grinned.

"The reason that Miles, Jack, and Vicente follow me is not because of some deal, or ulterior motive on behalf of them… It is because I know how to kill a man before he is even dead." Elias backed away from the commander, he had never felt so uncomfortable or so unsafe around a team member. Kirov smirked and whispered.

"Why don't you get back to your team before you're missed." Elias complied and walked away.

 **March 15, 2016**

 **Hereford Base**

 **1000**

"Have you finished analyzing those samples?" Asked Kirov to Twitch.

"Yes I took a look at them but I wasn't able to really trace anything back, as far as I know the White Pelican is a cleaning company in Detroit." Replied Twitch. Kirov massaged his forehead with his palms.

"Oh well it was worth a shot I suppose." Said Kirov as he began to walk out of the room.

"But there is one more thing commander." Said Twitch. Kirov looked towards the woman with a surprised expression.

"What is that?" He said.

"We did however analyze some fibers from the card and ran it through the U.S. criminal data base. It appears we did get to know our assailant a little bit more." Said Twitch. "The man we analyzed was none other than Raul E. Trevon. Born and raised in a bad neighborhood of Eugene Oregon, he apparently had affiliations with a couple gangs in his area but what really took the cake was what he did before he "disappeared" a few years ago to join the White Pelican."

"What did he do?" Asked Kirov.

"Well… he was arrested for killing a police officer, apparently he stabbed the man through the chest with a sacrificial dagger or something. But he was never tried as he escaped police custody with the help of, what the Eugene Police Department refer to as, "Multiple, armed, military trained, assailants." And get this they were wearing white masks." Said Twitch as she closed up her laptop.

"There's the connection, no other organization in the world could have known where we were over the Amazon than the Whitemasks… Emmanuelle, I want you to contact Six, we need a detachment of Special Forces to Eugene to investigate this White Pelican.

"Roger that sir." Replied Twitch.

"And another thing, keep this quiet from the rest of the team, as of this point further this is a black op."

 **15 Minutes Later**

Elias was walking down one of the dimly lit walkways of Hereford base, as he walked he played with the buttons on his pocket recorder. He continued to play the audio forward and back.

" _I know how to kill a man before he is even dead"_ The recorder played. He went on to play with the recorder a few more times.

 _I know how to kill a man before he is even…"_ Elias quickly shut off the recorder at the sight of Monika who walked around a corridor to intercept Elias. Monika wore a big grin at the sight of the soldier but Elias was in much less of a cheerful mood.

"What's that?" Asked Monika inquisitively. Elias quickly pocketed the tape recorder before replying.

"Oh… that's nothing, just an old keepsake is all." Monika grinned

"A keepsake huh? I never knew you were the sentimental type Elias." Said Monika. "Well you should let me hear it I promise I won't tell!" Said Monika. Elias quickly jolted back and and pulled the recorder away.

"NO…! I mean… no, I'd just rather not share it right now." Said Elias in a quiet tone. Monika's grin quickly faded.

"Elias? Are you alright?" Asked Monika compassionately. Elias conjured up the best fake smile he could muster and replied.

"Yes, everything is just perfect Monika, don't worry." He said. Monika could tell that something was still awry but decided not to pry any further.

"Okay well where are you off to?" Asked Monika. Elias' expression boldened.

"I'm going to speak to the Director." Said Elias.

"About what may I ask?" Said Monika.

"I'm thinking that I deserve a promotion…" Said Elias. Monika smiled.

"I completely agree Elias, I think it's about time we establish the squad leader and I can't think of anyone better for the job." Said Monika. As Elias drew nearer to the Director's office door he opened it gently.

"Well I suppose this is where we part ways." Said Elias.

"Yeah alright, well I'll see you later then?" Asked Monika.

"Don't count on it…" Said Elias bluntly as he closed the door in front of Monika. Monika's smile dissolved to a glare.

" _What the fuck is going on around here…"_ Monika thought to herself. As Elias closed the door he let out a sigh. He was saddened that he had to lie to Monika about the request for a promotion but he felt confident that no other members of Rainbow could hear what he was about to say. The Director of Rainbow, Six, sat at the end of a small metal table.

"Well this must be important for you to call me all the way out here from Washington." Said Six with an unimpressed tone.

"Oh yes… I would say it is." Replied Elias. "Director, I would like to file a formal reevaluation of Commander Kirov, I think there are some things you might want to hear that would change your view of him as the leader Team Rainbow needs…"


	23. House of Corruption

**CHAPTER 23: HOUSE OF CORRUPTION:**

 **Date Unknown**

 **Location Unknown**

 **Time Unknown**

After days of driving, Bandit finally heard and felt the stutter of an engine. This information informed him that the vehicle he was being transported on was finally stopping. The silence only lasted briefly as a few moments later he felt shaking and momentum engulfing his crate once again. This time a crane was hauling his crate off of the vehicle and carelessly placed him on the ground. At this point in time it could have been more than a week since Bandit had eaten, but Bandit was not scared of starving to death. Bandit was scared instead of the horrors that awaited him outside of his box shaped coffin. Bandit smelled aroma of dust filling the container as it slowly poured into the crate through the small cracks in the sides. A few small piles of sand formed on the ground of the crate before the intake halted. A few moments later a few men converged on the crate near its entrance. The men were speaking Arabic and the sound of assault rifles being loaded was also present. Bandit felt that once again his life was sureless forfeit. Suddenly the crate doors burst open, a vast array of light shot into the crate that was so bright bandit was blinded. A few men stood at the gate door before turning around. They spoke a few words into their radio's hastily before speaking.

"Work!" Shouted one of the men in a tone that suggested that he was not yet confident in the english language.

"Work!" Another man shouted behind him. After that the few men departed from the location and left behind the open crate. Suddenly a few people began to creep into the crate. Bandit could not tell who they were or what they were doing but felt that it was now his chance to strike. Bandit shot up out of his prone position on the ground and with his makeshift blade in hand tackled the person closest to him. Bandit took his blade and pressed it against the throat of the person. He looked and was surprised to see that it was a boy. Likely not much older than 17, and was scared to death. Bandit loosened his grip on the blade, he felt thankful that he did not kill him on sight. Bandit looked up to see a large group of people surrounding the entrance to the crate. All of them unarmed, they appeared to be civilians, of various races, genders, and ages. But all shared the sour look of enslavement and poverty. They were wearing bland colored clothing that looked dirty and old. Bandit removed his weight from the boy and the boy quickly scurried backwards. He expected the rest of the people to jump him so he kept his knife up in a combative stance, but no one encroached. After a few minutes later however, a single person parted the group down the center. It was a woman. She was clad in military gear. She wore a pair of desert camo pants and boots, but wore a much more casual dark blue tee shirt above that. She had dirty blonde hair that was cradled in a militaristic and digital colored scarf, with dark sunglasses tucked underneath. The woman turned to the the people surrounding her and spoke.

"Go, make yourself busy." She said gently. The people surrounding her turned and in their separate directions dispersed. Each person complying to the woman's orders without speaking a word in response. The woman turned herself back to Bandit who was in the process of trying to understand where he was or what was happening.

"It has been a while since we have found a live captive in a crate." Said the woman. "I hope you have a good reason to exist or I might just kill you right now." Bandit was at the end of his wits. How much worse could his situation possibly get. Bandit glanced over the woman one more time without the distraction of the other workers. As he analyzed the woman he realized just how young she was, and very much attractive. But what captured his attention the most was the Navy SEAL insignia that donned front of her vest.

"SEAL huh… It's been awhile since I've ran into one of you guys." Said Bandit. The woman looked surprised by the comment but continued to speak.

"So you can speak huh, well then mister should-be-dead. What are you doing in that crate?" She asked.

"Just trying to survive, anyway I can…" Said Bandit. Bandit realized the futility of his situation and dropped his makeshift blade onto the ground before dropping to his knees. He felt the blood begin to pour out of his poorly healed wounds once again. Even if he managed to kill the woman his life would still surely end in whatever god forsaken land he landed in. The woman was startled by his sudden actions, and began to tap the side of her holstered desert eagle as she assessed the situation.

"Do you know where you are?" Asked the woman.

"Not a fucking clue." Replied Bandit. The woman thought once more and then spoke again.

"Get up." She said.

"...Why…" Said Bandit.

"Just get up!" She shouted. Bandit slowly got up off the ground with his wound in hand, a small pool of blood had already formed from where he was crouched. The woman walked over to Bandit and grabbed onto his arm. She then began to violently pull him.

"Follow me!" She said as she guided Bandit. Bandit had no choice but to follow the woman. As he left the crate he smelt the sweet and clean aroma of the air outside the crate. Bandit began to choke from the smell as it was so relieving when compared to the smell of corpses he had lived with for the past week. Bandit peered around as he walked and saw that he was in the middle of a desert. The grounds around him were covered in huge amounts of debris and dotting each pile of debris was a small group of workers, similar to the ones he first encountered. Each group had on similar apparel and each group was sifting through the piles of rubble.

"What are they doing…" Bandit spoke weakly.

"Shut up." Said the woman blankly. Bandit followed the command and stopped speaking. After a few short seconds of walking Bandit found himself nearing the front door to a massive facility. It was a large concrete structure, but had a few smaller connecting walls that were wood, and made the structure appear almost naked in comparison. Around the corners of the building were tall guard towers, each one had a soldier manning it. After staring at one of the soldiers near the entrance of the facility there was no mistake. The facility was controlled and ran by Whitemasks. The woman dragged bandit into the building and guided him throughout its large corridors and hallways. The inside of the building was just as ugly as the outside and the entire area screamed an atmosphere of unease. After a few short minutes of walking the woman stood outside a small infirmary with Bandit in hand. A short nurse stood near the entrance. The two women spoke for a few moments in Arabic. The nurse appeared concerned about Bandit's condition but hesitant to take him in. The SEAL woman carrying Bandit however pulled out a small ID from her pocket and showed it to the nurse. Bandit was given an opportunity to read the ID and saw the woman's name. The Navy SEAL woman who pulled Bandit out of the crate was Meghan Castellano. After peering at the ID the nurse quickly let Meghan and Bandit into the infirmary. Meghan carried Bandit into the room and sat him down onto one of the small cots that lied in the center of the room. Bandit sat down abruptly and Meghan stood up. Bandit laid his head down onto onto the cot and lifted his feet off of the ground. Meghan looked at him with a blank expression. It took only a few minutes and although Bandit had many questions he fell unconscious involuntarily.

 **12 Hours Later**

It felt like an instant to Bandit but as shortly as he fell asleep the man awoke from his slumber. He did not know how long he had slept but was somewhat satisfied by the rest. There was a clock in the room but the man had no idea of the point in time in which he was carried into the infirmary. He realized at that point that he was wearing a new change of clothes, similar to the ones that the other workers were wearing and had his knife wound bandaged. This had not changed the fact that Bandit still had no idea where he was and so he would still need to keep his wits about him, but first he needed something to eat, as he was literally starving from his extended period of containment. The fatigued Bandit stood up from his cot and placed weight on his feet. It felt as though a sack of bricks was tied to his neck, his entire body was shot full of pain and his head was drowsy, it took all the strength he had to walk over to the other side of the room. Once he got there he peered through the small glass window that sat in the center of the door frame. The area outside of his infirmary was empty and much more dimly lit than before. Bandit took a moment to scratch the back of his head before proceeding. He grabbed onto the doorknob and carefully turned it in an attempt to escape the room. The only thing he felt however, was the tension of the lock keeping him out. After trying the door the man turned around and examined the room he was in some more. He looked over across the room and saw a small series of cabinets. Bandit quickly searched each cabinet in search of something to satiate his hunger but to no avail. Suddenly bandit caught a small glimmer of light out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see a small orb shaped object sitting in the corner of the room. The object was black and round with a small blue ring in the center. Suddenly the blue ring went dark. It became apparent to Bandit that the orb was a camera, and he was being watched. But Bandit was in no position to defend himself, or try to make a run for it. He couldn't even get out of the room. So Bandit sat back down onto his cot and waited.

 **1 Hour Later**

What felt like an eternity to Bandit was an hour in the real world. Bandit looked at the clock often just to make sure he was still sane but felt his hunger weakening him by the minute. Suddenly the infirmary door opened, in the room came two Whitemask soldiers with their guns at the ready. Bandit assumed he was doomed, that Meghan had simply given his identity up to his superiors and that they were finally going to finish him off. He was surprised to see the two men instead grab each one of his arms and pull him off of his infirmary cot. They pulled Bandit much like Meghan did but this time Bandit had enough strength to walk. The soldiers did not speak any words and Bandit felt no need to ask questions. Whatever fate awaited him was inevitable he thought to himself. As the soldiers carried Bandit he found himself moving up a small set of stairs and following another small hallway. Shortly after leaving the infirmary Bandit found himself at the entrance to another room. A small title hung above the door.

" _SURVEILLANCE ROOM"_

The title asserted. One of the soldiers carefully opened the door and the other soldier shoved Bandit into the room. The door closed behind Bandit and both of the men stayed on the other side. Bandit was in a small room filled with TVs. Each TV had a different point of view of the facility through the use of cameras. In one screen Bandit saw the view of the infirmary upon which he had just left. In the center of the room was a small wooden table with chairs. At one end of the table sat Meghan, wearing the same apparel as before and with her desert eagle laid out a few inches away from her on the table. At the other end of the table an empty chair was present.

"Sit down." Requested Meghan. Bandit obeyed the request and sat down.

"I know who you are Dominic." Said Meghan. "I found out after doing a little research on the shipment you came over on, really quite the tale to tell." Bandit gripped the sides of his seat.

"Yes, so now what are you going to do with me?" Asked Bandit. Meghan smiled slightly.

"Let's not be hasty now, before we do anything else I want you to tell me yourself what you did to get you here." Said Meghan. Bandit loosened his grip on his chair and spoke.

"I was posing as a member of Black Daggers but was actually an undercover operator for Team Rainbow, I was behind a sting operation that nearly got killed all the Daggers, and they found out… somehow. They tried to kill me, and then they sent me here, thinking that I was just another corpse." Said Bandit. Meghan was surprised by the level of truthfulness and fearless nature of Bandit's words.

"Is that all?" Asked Meghan.

"That's all I got." Replied Bandit.

"Well then Dominic, how did you get involved with Team Rainbow?" Questioned Meghan.

"What does this have to do with anything?" The man asked.

"Answer the question!" Demanded Meghan angrily, her hand was placed upon the desert eagle on the table.

"I'm a good soldier, but have been known to get in trouble… I spent some time undercover and did some things that got me recognized by my superiors. I was recruited by the director of Team Rainbow before it was formally reactivated and was given a directive to spy on the growing terrorist organization known as the Whitemasks. It was smaller then... much smaller. And much easier to infiltrate. Once I found my way in I began to feed information to Team Rainbow from the inside." Said Bandit. Meghan appeared satisfied from the response.

"I'll let you in on this because I feel that honesty deserves honesty in return." Said Meghan. "I'm not formally a member of the Whitemask organization, instead I am a… freelance operator hired for my particular set of skills in enforcement and surveillance. That's why I'm here. I make sure that the slav…. I mean 'Workers' stay on task and that no one tries anything that may compromise what we have going on here. I tell you this because I feel like you are the first person I have run into here that is not in this business for personal gain. A rare quality indeed."

"Is that really why you are telling me this?" Asked Bandit. "I mean you just found me in that crate, who knows how long ago and now you are informing me on your position here?" Meghan's confident smile faded to an uncertain expression.

"Well maybe there is more than meets the eye… I joined up in this gig for the money to start, but after I saw what they did to the people I grew hesitant to uphold my duties. Now that I see what the workers have gathered, I'm almost certain that I can't continue on with this particular line of work." Replied Meghan.

"What are you talking about? What exactly have they gathered here?" Asked Bandit. Meghan hesitantly responded to the question but once again revealed all that she knew.

"This entire facility is a electronic waste excavation site. The waste they get is stolen from the U.S. government along with other countries in the UN. They find out all sorts of hidden secrets that no terrorist should know. That's how they have been so successful with their latest attacks, like the one in Virginia." Replied Meghan. Bandit was displeased by what he heard.

"So… you just do it? You follow through with these acts of worldwide destruction for a quick paycheck!" Burst out Bandit in a fit of rage. Meghan quickly stood up and picked her desert eagle off of the desk. She cocked the hammer back and pointed the weapon at Bandit.

"Now is not the time to make accusations Dominic! You don't know me or what I've been through!" Bandit regretted his previous comment. "But unfortunately I need you alive for what we are going to do… this is the real reason I have told you everything you now know." Said Meghan.

"What are we doing?" Asked Bandit in a worried tone.

"I would have quit this job by now if I was able to but these Whitemasks have something of a problem for loose ends… If I left now with what I know they would have me killed. So the only way for us to leave is for the place to get leveled." Replied Meghan.

"How are we going to do that?" Asked Bandit. Meghan calmly replied.

"It's easier said than done but it should be something you are familiar with Dominic, we are going to give Team Rainbow a little incentive to come and burn this place down. What more could they want then the fabled Boneyard?"


	24. Greet the New Day

**CHAPTER 24: GREET THE NEW DAY**

 **April 1, 2016**

 **Eugene Airport, Lane County, Oregon**

 **0800**

Some things never change, and for Navy SEAL operative Craig Jensen, this was especially apparent. Planes were something that Craig always struggled with, and even after departing from the airport in a small cab his back ached. It was a combination of the tiny seats and annoying people that gave him this impression. But that was all behind him. Craig had one mission. Find the Whitemask recruiter in Oregon known as White Pelican. This operation however would require a little finesse, which was not Craig's forte. Alongside Craig Jensen was another esteemed operator by the name of Yumiko Imagawa. A member of the Japanese Special Assault Team, here background in military action and criminal justice is just as extensive and impressive as Craig's. Both of these soldiers however are looking for a chance to join Team Rainbow with their assigned operation.

"So… How was your flight… _snort, chuckle,..._ Blackbeard…" Said Yumiko.

"Oh shut your trap Yumiko, It's not my fault HQ assigned me this crap, and at least mine makes sense… much less than I can say about 'Hibana' what the fuck is a Hibana anyways?" Replied Craig.

"It has a lot of poetic meaning behind it, and I'm sure you wouldn't understand. You can say it as much as you want though it won't bother me. Unlike some people… _cough cough..._ Blackbeard… _cough cough…"_ Spoke Yumiko in a joking tone. The two operators sat silently together in the cab for a few more minutes as the vehicle drove through the outskirts of Eugene.

"It's pretty strange don't you think?" Said Craig.

"Is what strange?" Asked Yumiko. Craig swifty replied.

"This match us pretty strange, it's kind of funny that HQ would send a U.S. SEAL and a Japanese Soldier to do investigative work, likely the only people we will encounter are small town dead beats."

"Why is that strange?"

"It's strange because neither of us are detectives, There's a reason I'm special forces and it's not because I'm Sherlock Holmes." Said Craig.

"Well evidently the brass believes there is a nature of extreme danger involved with this whole investigation or they wouldn't have sent special forces. It's important to remember also that we won't be working alone, we will have the whole of Oregon's PD to assist." Said Yumiko.

"For all the good that will do." Replied Craig.

"I was also a cop at one time believe it or not, so that may help us sniff out their trail." She said.

"That's all fine and well but there is still one thing that doesn't make sense to me." He said.

"What's that?" She said.

"It's like I said before, why send a SEAL and a SAT? Why not just send two SEALs if they are so inclined to implement special forces?" He said. Yumiko's smile vanished leaving a blank expression.

"Evidently there's more to this operation than we are let on." She said. Craig nodded his head slowly.

"Yes, it appears there is." He said in a bored tone as he placed his head into his palm and stared out of the cab window.

 **APRIL 2, 2016**

" **The Boneyard", Somewhere in the Middle East**

 **1200**

"Do you remember the plan?" Asked Meghan to Bandit.

"Of course I remember." He said boldly. "Just make sure you do your part." The two soldiers stood outside near the many junk piles in the Boneyard. After a few seconds Meghan looked towards Bandit and gave him a short nod. Bandit cracked his knuckles and rolled his eyes in an unamused manner. Bandet then walked away from the small junk pile that he was sifting through. In his hands were some rusted brass knuckles that he found stowed away. He walked a few more steps and found himself at the base of a massive radio antenna. The antenna was enclosed by a small chain link fence and gate, but had two Whitemasks standing guard. Luckily for Bandit neither of the guards had guns, instead they were two tall middle eastern men, wearing normal civilian clothes and large scuffs of cloth, similar to Meghan, except that they also concealed their faces. What made the men intimidating was their large black belts that beared a holstered police baton. Clearly these men were enforcers, similar to the ones who first opened Bandit's crate, they were designed not to kill but to beat down anyone who caused trouble. It seemed the Whitemasks showed more mercy to those that could earn a profit for them. Bandit walked closer to the gate, and advanced on one of the guards. The man was taller than Bandit and looked down to him with a piercing glare.

"What the fuck are you doing worker?" The man said in a deep broken tone. Bandit looked the man in the eyes and smiled. He couldn't help but think back to what Meghan told him earlier as they planned their mission.

"I need you to do what you do best, make a distraction, and create a lot of unwanted attention." Meghan said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, 'do what I do best?'" Bandit said. Meghan smiled at the response and giggled softly.

"Nothing, just that you are excellent at first impressions is all." She said as she used the air to imitate the knife stroke Bandit implemented on the slave boys throat, causing Bandit to cross his arms in disapproval. Bandit pondered his memories quickly and then responded to the guards question. Not with words but instead with a harsh right hook to the jaw. The punch knocked the guard unconscious and to the ground. The other guard, fueled by rage, immediately tackled Bandit to the ground. The two men began wrestling as many of the other workers watched in astonishment. After a few minutes of wrestling bandit escaped from his position on the dirt with a quick kick to the guards face. The kick knocked his head back and sent the man reeling, after he regained his wits he pulled out his police baton and began to beat down Bandit from his standing position, at this point all that Bandit could do was take the beating, after all he was supposed to be the distraction. In the meantime Meghan made good use of the diversion, she got closer to the officer who was unconscious and carefully examined and felt each of the keys that were attached to his large key chain. Meghan quietly took the key off of the chain and slipped it into her pocket. After a few more seconds of Bandit's beating a small detachment of guards approached the squabble. These men however had assault rifles in hand and were prepared to kill Bandit.

"Wait, don't shoot him…" Said the man with the Baton. "Too easy…" After speaking the man grabbed bandit by the scruff of his shirt and picked him up off of the dirt. Bandit's face was bloodied and had multiple scratches, it was incapable of keeping the large grin off of his face however, as he knew exactly what had been done on the part of Meghan. The man threw bandit into the small group of soldiers where they fanned out and allowed him to hit the dirt harshly. The other men spoke amongst themselves in Arabic and then went on to pick Bandit up off the ground. They carried him on both sides with his feet dragging in the dirt. Bandit knew exactly where he was going, the man thought back once again to the conversation he had with Meghan.

"Well there is one of two ways this goes down." Meghan said. "Option one, which is most likely, they take you into custody, once that happens they will make a call into the brass and have an interrogator sent in from another facility. They won't take any chances in breaking you, after all they don't want you dead, they want a mindless drone to work their junk piles. Most of the time they would have some guards torture you but with your armed combat capabilities obviously returning to some sort of military background in addition to a personal recommendation from myself they will likely call in a professional interrogator to have their way with you…"

"What's the other option?" Asked Bandit worryingly.

"Well option two is they kill you, and throw your body into a junk pile. After all they don't just search through trash here, they search bodies." Said Meghan.

"Which option are we hoping for?" Bandit questioned sarcastically.

"We want to go with option one, for multiple reasons." Replied Meghan.

"What other reason is there besides me staying alive for phase two of the plan?" Said Bandit.

"The other reason is that my position as lead of security and surveillance will allow me not only to recommend the punishment of reeducation to you, but also a choice of any interrogator of my choosing, lets just say I know a certain someone who can help us out in that regard." She said. Bandit returned to his conscious position, he must have passed out because when he woke up he was in a small, dark and very much confined space, he was sitting at the end of a table and found that his right hand was handcuffed to the chair. In addition to this Bandit could see that his unhealed wound had reopened in the fight.

" _Great…"_ Bandit thought to himself. " _This is exactly what I needed."_ Bandit groped his wound and tried not to moan in agony. In the next room over Meghan was conversing with the cell leader of the Boneyard, the man was a specialist in analyzing data, and an expert extracting information from several different forms of electronic devices. The man was tall and lean, with many ordinary features surrounding his body, although he prefered to keep his face concealed whenever possible due to the risks surrounding his work. The man's name was Mark Chander, and he was responsible for the single largest flow of stolen information to the Whitemask organization, next to the now reformed Capitao. He could best be described as a genius, if not somewhat narcissistic and condescending at times, of which he rightfully deserves. Mark was one of the men Team Rainbow would want to kill the most, if they knew his name that is. He did a remarkably good job of concealing his identity and existence as a whole to all outsiders. And the only spot where you could find him exposed would be at the Boneyard, upon which he arrives periodically to examine scraps that were recovered and leads a team of hackers in retrieving data.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't just kill him." Mark said to Meghan with a deep and bored tone. Meghan replied swiftly.

"He's one of the healthiest, if not the healthiest worker we have. You find find someone with a better body for sifting through piles of junk. It would be a shame if we killed him over one little conflict with the guards…" Mark looked displeased at the response.

"One little conflict? That slave almost killed our antenna guard! Do you know what kind of example that sets for the other slaves knowing they have even a shred of hope for resisting our security?" Said Mark.

"We prefer to refer to them as workers rather than slaves…" Meghan said.

"Now is not the time to test my patience Meghan." Mark paused for a second to clear his thoughts. "Fine Meghan I'll allow you to proceed with reeducation because you have yet to undermine my trust in you, just don't make me regret this or you will have problems." Meghan grinned.

"Don't worry sir, I know what I'm doing." She said. Meghan walked out of the database room and followed the hallway to the next door over, she entered the room and closed the door behind her. Inside the room was Bandit, bleeding and groaning in pain.

"I really fucking hope it was worth it." Bandit said painfully. Meghan smiled again.

"Oh don't you worry Dominic, the circumstances couldn't be better." She said. Meghan reached into her pocket and pulled out the small key she secured from the unconscious guard. "I was really impressed with that punch." She said. "I thought I was going to have to pull it off his belt while I 'split you two up' but knocking him out made it even easier." Bandit rolled his eyes.

"Yeah I'm glad it was easy for you." He said sarcastically.

"I suppose that's the benefit to not being an enemy of the Whitemasks who should be dead, but is instead hiding at the Boneyard poised as a worker." She said.

"Too bad that won't last for long." Bandit replied. Meghan frowned.

"Yeah that is too bad, but sometimes obstacles are inevitable." She said. "LIke our next objective, I'm going to sneak into the radio control at night when the guards are off duty and start the signal. I need you to stay in the communications room here in the main facility and make contact with your Rainbow Team. Let them know where we are and tell them to bring transport for at least forty trafficked civilians." Bandit sighed and replied.

"Why don't you just make contact in the radio control room?" He asked.

"Have you not learned anything since we got here?" She said. "The Whitemasks leave nothing to chance, even communications to the outside. So they have two step security on their comms, One person needs to be tuning into the frequency from the radio control while another person actually makes contact in the communications room."

"Fine then." Bandit said. "Then why do we need your interrogator friend?" Meghan looked at the floor and then responded.

"Because I need her to make my own escape, I won't be able to leave with you and Team Rainbow, they will arrest me on accounts of assisting the Whitemasks, likely resulting in my death, so my best bet is to leave with her." Bandit's eyes widened.

"No it doesn't have to be like this. I can talk to Rainbow, I know the director and we can sort this out, If you just leave after committing sabotage against the Whitemaks you'll have then to worry about too. And without the support of Team Rainbow… I can't just let you leave." He said boldly. Meghan was surprised by the response which warranted an authentic smirk on her part.

"I appreciate the sentiment but I can take care of myself, don't get soft on me just yet, we still have a job to do." She said warmly. The two soldiers carried on with their planning for the next day, but were unaware of the true danger they were in. Outside of the room with his ears planted against a small crack in the door was the worker boy Bandit tackled at his first arrival. Incentivised with a promise of freedom by Mark in exchange for eavesdropping on Meghan and Bandit the boy stepped away from the door and quickly ran down the hallway to where he knew he would find Mark. As he ran he slowed to a jog, and then gradually to a walk. He thought about what the two soldiers discussed. He reached an impasse. He could turn in Meghan and Bandit and possibly secure his freedom, or he could take a risk, allow them to proceed with their plan, and pray that he and his fellow slaves don't get killed by the guards before they can be liberated, as is in the Whitemask nature. He would give the matter some thought before making a decision.

 **APRIL 2, 2016**

" **The Boneyard" Somewhere in the Middle East**

 **2300**

Meghan slipped into the radio control room in the dead of night without any guards posted outside, no one is aware that she stole the key other than the slave boy, and without anyone else to watch the camera her infiltration would go unnoticed. She gently closed the door behind her and pulled out a small flashlight. She used the flashlight to illuminate the room around her as she examined the mechanisms she would be working with. The equipment was ancient but she knew how to make it work. She sat down in a small computer chair and began to turn on the equipment by flipping a series of switches. As the diodes lit up and the roaring sounds of the radio equipment came to life the woman smiled at her knowledge of old school electronics. She found the access switch and flipped it while keeping a steady hand on another tuning knob. While working the equipment she took her free hand and used it to turn on the mic headset she had around her head, then she softly spoke.

"You're all clear Dominic, let 'em know what's going on." She said. Bandit heard the message and proceeded with action. He cracked his knuckles in preparation and quickly grabbed the radio microphone from the desk in front of him, with Meghan's work in the radio room done all that Bandit had to do was speak.

"Coming in Eagle Base 1 this is Dominic Brunsmeier code name Bandit, I repeat this is code name Bandit requesting immediate assistance. Safe word "Retriever" I have infiltrated a Whitemask encampment and have its coordinates." The man said hastily.

"Roger that Bandit this Eagle Base 1, we got your scent. Send us your coordinates and we will have one over to you, over." A woman said calmly into the radio. Bandit let out a sigh of relief and spoke out his coordinates over the radio with confidence.

" _Am I really going to escape this place?"_ He thought to himself. It almost seemed too good to be true, and it was. It seemed that the slave boy had finally decided on his decision for the fate of the Meghan and Bandit, and he sold them to Mark in exchange for his own freedom. As Bandit turned around felt the massive jolt of a bullet fly through his quadricep. Bandit was forced to the ground automatically, before he could react, or even think about what had just happened a second round flew. This one went straight through his heart. The man grabbed his chest and pulled on his the leather of his slick racing jacket, which was given back to him by Meghan after hatching their plan. Nothing could stop his demise however and he collapsed to the ground. Bandit was dead a mere seconds after completing his mission. The man responsible for killing him was Mark, he holstered his pistol, he approached the small radio system and, with the use of his knife, pried the metal casing off of its side. He gazed at the wires, a jungle of electronics with thousands of possibilities that could result in failure if the wrong one was tampered with. But Mark was a genius and he knew how to bypass the two step security on the comms and allow him to tune it manually. He reached into the apparatus and with little hesitance cut an assortment of wires in various places. He then took out his smartphone and plugged it into the radio itself. With an application on his phone and his mastery of technology he established a signal of his own, bypassing Meghan, and spoke his own message.

"This is Mute, watchword 'boneyard' is compromised, again the border has been jeopardized, we need immediate extraction and relocation of the database and workers to site Triton." The man said with little enthusiasm

"I understand, and what exactly are we expecting to deal with here?" Said a man over the radio.

"It's serious York, they're sending Rainbow after us." Mark replied. York went on to respond in a confident tone.

"I see… well you better get ready for some company then, I'm sending some of my friends over."


	25. The Serpent's Head

**CHAPTER 25: THE SERPENT'S HEAD**

 **APRIL 4, 2016**

" **The Boneyard [Border]" Somewhere in the Middle East**

 **0100**

The sound of the chopper propellers was long gone when the Rainbow Team finally arrived at the boneyard, weapons in hand, and scores to settle. They couldn't take their choppers directly into the hot zone because on this operation, they were going in quiet. Blitz kept his shield attached to his back to reduce its noise. He was using a standard issue police shield since he lost his G52 somewhere in the skies above the Amazon, but he knew how to make any ballistic shield work. He was the point man for the operation, and assigned squad leader during Thermites leave. Blitz continued his silent advance on the front walls to the Boneyard and stopped once he reached the entrance. With his head tucked behind cover, Blitz turned and looked backwards at the Rainbow Team that was sent with him. He had the honor to work with Monika 'I.Q.', Eliza 'Ash', Seamus 'Sledge, and Sebastien 'Buck' on that operation, with the additional support of Kirov over the comms. Their plan was rehearsed in their heads, and they had known the plan since before they left Hereford. Blitz peered carefully around the corner. The nighttime environment created the perfect environment for their assault. He located a single guard standing by the front door to the facility. A typical Whitemask, bearing an assault rifle and smoking a cigarette. The guards at the Boneyard were likely used to the obscurity of their location, hiding behind Mark's cyber camouflage allowed them the luxury of never engaging in combat, a luxury that would be their undoing. Blitz looked at the man and smirked. He pulled out his P12 handgun, equipped with a supressor. And shot the guard through the head from a few feet away like a bottle on a tree stump. The guard collapsed and smashed his rifle against the wall which made a loud noise.

" _Jesus, we don't need anymore of that."_ He thought to himself.

After a quick exchange of hand signals between Blitz and the other soldiers they progressed with their operation. Buck silently dashed towards the guard's body and dragged him behind a pyramid of barrels while the other soldiers got closer to the structure. After all the soldiers regrouped against the main wall Blitz softly grasped the main door handle and peaked inside. Inside the building there was a steady amount of light making it hard for the Rainbow Team to hide but it also made it impossible for the guards to conceal themselves. With no guards in sight Blitz crept into the building with his team at his back. Blitz pulled the shield off of his back and aligned his sights along the side of it. One benefit of using a smaller standard issue shield was that he could move noticeably quieter and faster. As Blitz continued on his path, the layout of the building began to look much more confusing. Rather than walking into a trap, Blitz whispered over his comms.

"Ash take a look with your drone, I don't like the look of this place." Ash nodded and complied with the request. She took a small drone from one of her large vest pockets and planted it on the ground. With the use of her smartphone she controlled the device. Whizzing the drone around the structure hastily she was able to construct a theoretical route of access to which they could reach the second floor. The only information that Rainbow could gather before the operation, using all of their multi-national resources and military satellites was that the main data center, the heart of the operation, or the head of the serpent, was located on the second floor of the structure. Besides that the team was in the dark. Mute did his job of concealing the layout from satellites but the datacenter was too active to keep completely tucked away. Ash pressed on with her drone moving up the staircase until suddenly she lost control. The video feed began to display a large amount of distortion and within seconds the drone was completely unresponsive to any of Ashes controls.

"What the hell? Piece of shit…" Ash said in frustration in a volume that was louder than what the other members were comfortable with. Buck grabbed onto Ash's shoulder, as Ash turned around Buck shook his head disapprovingly to display his distaste with her action. Blitz led the team without the coverage of the Team's drones into the belly of the beast. The team moved up the stairs without running into any trouble. Once they reached the top their luck began to diminish. Blitz looked to IQ and gave her a signal to prompt her into using her Spectre to analyze the room for traps. After a quick sweep she picked up no trace of foreign electronics. IQ signaled to Blitz with her fingers conveying the knowledge she gathered. The team then continued on as IQ kept her Spectre active. the technology used behind it was good, but not as impervious. After a few more steps she picked up signals of electronics but her device was also swallowed up by the same jamming effect that took Ash's drone. Without the Spectre malfunctioning, IQ closed the device and got her rifle ready. Due to the team's lack and prevention of reconnaissance capabilities none of the operators were aware of the presence of a camera, inconspicuously placed on the roof. Upon which they were being watched. After turning the next corridor Blitz spotted the presence of more guards. This time it was two guards. Both looked bored with their stations and had their weapons hanging by their sides. Blitz took advantage of the situation and, with coordination on the part of Ash, took the two soldiers out simultaneously before they even knew what hit them. The soldiers pressed on with their assault. Suddenly however IQ noticed her gadget was gaining reception again. She expected this result, and took it as evidence that they were nearing the data center. After all the Whitemasks wouldn't try to jam their own data banks. Blitz noticed the occurrence and signaled for the team to halt. The team sat in wait with their shoulders pressed to a wooden wall. As IQ scanned the room she noticed something unusual. There was a signal emanating from the roof but as she stared at the exact spot, there appeared nothing. But after a few short seconds of studying the spot she noticed a gentle glimmer of a drone, using some advanced form of cloaking technology. It was truly nothing she had ever seen before. Before she could inform Blitz however, the drone opened fire. Not with any sort of lethal weapon but with instead with ultrasonic charges. The shots were incredibly loud and created a severe concussive effect among all the members of Team Rainbow. All of the soldiers were sent reeling, causing the warriors to disperse and spread out. Buck and IQ stumbled backwards and planted their backs against the closest wall while grabbing their heads. Sledge was proactive with his thinking however and bashed the closest wall leading to the data bank with his hammer creating a large passageway. After creating the gap, Sledge lept through it and called out to the other team members to follow.

"Blitz! Ash! Over here!" He called. Blitz and Ash slowly waltzed over towards the hole and lept through it. A few seconds later IQ and Buck began moving towards the hole as well but before they arrived a massive explosion occurred behind them which took them by surprise. The two soldiers quickly lept through the hole but not before Rook, emerging from the smoke of the explosion shot Buck through the abdomen. It forced the man to topple to the ground on the side of the wall still exposed to the camouflaged drone. IQ reached out her hand to grab Buck but after a series of bullets of flew close to her fingers she pulled her hand back. Surprisingly although Buck was exposed no one was opening fire on the man, instead allowing him to lie on the ground bleeding. The Rainbow Team was ready to launch a counter assault in an attempt to save their wounded comrade, even while knowing the risk of failure. That was the entire team except for Blitz. Blitz knew it would be suicide, and knew the importance of the mission. If they did not destroy the datacenter the boneyard could simply be relocated. So he grabbed the shoulder of the nearby Ash and pulled her away from the hole towards the doorway leading to the data center. Ash was astounded by the command.

"You're honestly just going to leave him there?" She demanded. Blitz looked away, the decision was not easy for him but he had a priority, and that was to finish their job.

"You think I want to leave him there? We have to do the job we came here for and Buck is in an impossible position to rescue." Blitz replied. Ash was doubtful with the command, so she pulled her microphone closer to ther lips and spoke.

"Commander are you there? Command?" The only response she received was static. Unfortunately do the jamming effects of the structure they were unable to maintain comms with Kirov or seek his command for making the decision over Buck's life, and eventually after awkward hesitation Ash decided it would be best to follow the command of Blitz due to the imminent value of their target. IQ realized the stakes as well and without any support from her teammates she knew she had no chance against the daggers, so she followed Elias as well. Seamus did not give up howere. He looked to the other members with disappointment and anger.

"I cannot believe what I am seeing." He said harshly with emotion. "That you would leave a man behind, you don't deserve to call yourselves soldiers, and you don't deserve to call yourself Rainbow." The man turned his back on the other soldiers, and with the swing of his hammer, made another cavity in the wall adjacent to the first. On the other side of the wall he saw a Whitemask soldier holding a shotgun, Sledge killed the man with precision.

"Sledge wait!" IQ cried. Sledge ignored IQ and quickly lept through the hole he made. His goal was to counter the daggers by hitting their flank. He walked along the new corridor he found himself in. It was quiet for a few seconds until he spotted another two Whitemasks, they saw him aswell and opened fire. Sledge returned fire, band being a much better soldier defeated both the men. Before Sledge could advance however Rook once again returned bearing a volley of MP5 fire. The bullets zipped past his head and hit a series of cabinets behind him. Making a large amount of distracting noise. Sledge and Rook kept at their fire fight until a mysterious noise accrued, originating from under a small drawer beside Sledge. The noise sounded like the turning of a valve and the result was an expansion of bright yellow gas that quickly engulfed the area around Sledge. The gas was asphyxiating to Sledge and the once big and mighty warrior fell to the ground unable to breath. From a doorway on the opposite side of the room, Smoke made his way towards Sledge. Sledge looked up at the man, and in a last chance struggle attempted to reach for his pistol. Smoke closed the distance quickly however and knocked Sledge unconscious with the butt of his rife.

In another area of the facility Team Rainbow made their way to the datacenter, they were within spitting distance and with the exception of a few easily eliminated Whitemasks they encountered no trouble. Blitz kept his shield up anyways and led the advance. The strange concussion drone that attacked them earlier had yet to make its reappearance. After a few more steps suddenly Blitz found himself at the base of a massive tower of computerized machinery, thousands of lowing lights and buzzing fans made it clear in addition to IQ's scan that they had finally found the datacenter. Elias wasted no time and began to rig the computers with explosives. In the meantime IQ continued to scan the room for traps. Suddenly a concussive blast flew from the ceiling which once again stunned Blitz. Before it could affect any of the other members however IQ destroyed it, with a combination of her weapon and her Spectre. The Team pressed on with their operation. Cutting as many wires as possible and planting explosive devices within a minute the data center was rigged and ready to go. Blitz searched frantically for the exit nearest to their escape route. There was an armored truck waiting for the rainbow team at the western edge of the facility. All that they would have to do is escape. Blitz knew they were closed in like rats and it would be seconds before the daggers would assault them.

" _Why haven't they swarmed us yet?"_ Blitz thought to himself. Blitz looked around once again but finally decided on course of action. He planted a breaching charge on the exterior wall of the building and blew it. The hole exposed the darkness of the desert around them. They could use a rappel to escape. Blitz attached his rappel to the solid ground and called the rest of the team over.

"Let's move! It's only a matter of time before they are on our ass!" Blitz shouted. IQ walked towards Blitz with her rappel gear in hand to prepare for their escape. IQ seemed to trust Blitz more than anyone else. It didn't matter the command she would never hesitate in his guidance. Ash was finishing up with the wiring of the bombs when bullets flew past the woman's head. Ash was not ready to leave however. She thought about her fallen comrades and knew that she couldn't just leave them. Especially now that the objective secured. She saw no use in trying to negotiate with Blitz, she saw the man she once respected now as a shallow and selfish mercenary with an agenda of his own. As Rook and Smoke approached the database with their guns at the ready, Ash hatched her own plan. She grabbed her R4C and with her signature speed darted towards an adjacent doorway that led away from the Daggers. They continued to spray the volley of bullets.

"Eliza what are you doing?!" Blitz shouted. Elize did not respond and shortly after Blitz made his own opinion

"She knows the risks of what she is doing, it is her funeral." The man said. The comment was so brash it caught even the adoring IQ by surprise.

"Wha… what? How can you say that she's one of us!" IQ said. Blitz replied in a manner that could best be described as purely heartless.

"She doesn't deserve our loyalty! If she and Sledge want to break command and go out on their own personal vendettas then that is their own decision!" Blitz said. IQ was speechless and she didn't know what to do. Three of her friends were left behind inside the structure and Blitz was just about to leave them but she respected Blitz and trusted him, more than she should have. IQ decided in the end to follow Blitz lead and planted her repel on the ground. She and Blitz repelled to the dusty ground below and began their push once more to the escape location. Once they were a decent distance away Blitz squeezed the detonator on his device, the result was a massive explosion that shook the foundation of the complex. Blitz and IQ trotted further until they reached the large armored truck, formerly controlled by the Whitemasks, that would be their escape vessel. Blitz got inside the truck in the driver's seat and turned the engine on. The truck was fast and sturdy, clearly the Whitemask budget was nowhere in short supply. Blitz turned to the passenger side and saw IQ staring towards the flames of the explosion with longing eyes.

"IQ lets go!" Blitz said.

"...but… Blitz…" She said weakly.

"I said, let's go Monika." Blitz said in a quieter yet more intimidating tone. IQ stared at Blitz

" _What happened to you?"_ She thought to herself as she slowly climbed into the vehicle. The two soldiers sped off in the vehicle. As they put distance between them and the boneyard the comm signal was reestablished.

"Rainbow Six this is Kirov, I repeat this is Kirov do we have a signal? What is your status...?" Kirov said. Blitz turned his microphone volume down as to mute his commanding officer. As he did he let out a large grin. IQ stared at Blitz with shock, she had comms of her own but her she was unable to let words loose from her lips. She sat in the passenger seat silently, contemplating the course of events that just unfolded. Suddenly another set of explosions went off in the facility. These ones were much more violent than the one Team Rainbow created.

" _Could it have been a chain reaction?"_ IQ thought to herself. Suddenly Blitz spoke.

"Wow would you look at that, it's beautiful like a spectacle of fireworks… That right there wasn't caused by our intrusion, no way did we trigger that… That is the direct result of Whitemask demolition… I'm curious as to why they would destroy the facility with their men inside…" Kirov spoke loudly over IQ's comms.

"Hello is anyone there? Hello? Blitz…? Sledge…?! Say something?"


End file.
